Organization of the nervous system of physonectid siphonophores

Abstract

An antiserum to the sequence Arg-Phe-amide (RFamide) was used to stain the nervous systems of various physonectid siphonophores. In the stem of Nanomia bijuga, this antiserum stained an ectodermal nerve net, which was interrupted, at regular intervals, by transverse collars of neurons. Injection of Lucifer yellow into the “giant axon” of the stem showed that this axon was dye-coupled to an ectodermal nerve net that resembled the RFamide-positive network. Ectodermal nets of neurons were also found in the pneumatophore, gastrozooids, tentacles and tentilla. At the junctions of the pneumatophore, the gastrozooids, the dactylozooids and the gonozooids with the stem, and at the junctions of tentacles and tentilla, collars or rings of neurons occurred. The stem was connected to the phyllozooids and nectophores by muscular lamellae, which were bordered by chains of neurons. At the margin of the nectophores, an immunoreactive nerve ring was found. Connected to this ring and located in the“seitliche Zapfen” (“sidely-located patche”), were two agglomerations of nerve cells. On the upper side of the bell margin, positioned at 90° relative to the “seitliche Zapfen”, a delta-shaped neuronal structure was found. This structure was connected to the nerve ring and was associated with a muscle, which ran a short distance along the exumbrellar surface.