Abstract
early stages of maturation. The gland appears to develop from the anterior 813 gill filaments of the first gill arches. The gill secondary lamellae shorten such that their only remnants in most of the mature gill gland are capillaries at the bases of the columnar cells that line the chambers. The edges of adjacent gill filaments must fuse to form the chambers that open into the gill cavity through antero-ventrally oriented apertures. Skeletal muscle and cartilage from the original gill filaments remain within the chamber walls. Degree of expansion and secretory activity of the glands varied among the 11 mature males. Based on histological characteristics of the gland, its location, and the complex courtship behavior of this species, we hypothesize that the gill gland is producing some type of female attractant (pheromone).
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