Abstract
On the Hydronaut Expedition to 13N on the East Pacific Rise, we made some observations on the reproductive biology of Riftia pachyptila relevant to larval dispersal, symbiont acquisition, and sperm transfer. Two females spawned in a pressure chamber about 15 h after collection. During each 30 min spawning episode, the relatively small (105 pm), lipid-rich eggs were emitted in large numbers from the female gonopores and floated upward in still seawater at about 2 cm min-l. Therefore, it is likely that early development takes place in deep water well above the vent habitat of the adults. Two males spawned in non-pressurized aquaria about 45 min after reaching the deck of the ship. Semen issuing from the male gonopores contained sperm bundles, each composed of several hundred sperm wlth remarkable detached acrosomes. Each bundle swam vigorously through seawater by the beating of all its flagella In unison Motil~ty was not inhibited by hydrogen sulfide concentratlons greater than those at the vent habitat. After swimmlng for about 15 min, the bundles broke up into individual sperm that were relatively immotile. It is reasonable to assume that sperm bundles swim from the male to the female's tube or body where they adhere by their detached acrosomes before disintegrating into individual sperm that subsequently ferhhze the
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.