Skin papillae as possible electroreceptors in the deep-sea eel Cyema atrum (Cyemidae: Anguilloidei)

Abstract

Surface structure and internal organization of prominent skin papillae in the mesopelagic eel Cyema atrum have been investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Each papilla is club-shaped and possesses a pore at its distal end. A central rod, filled with cellular strands and surrounded by a 30 to 40 μm wide matrix of clear material, runs from the tip to the base of the papilla. A cluster of cells, located 60 μm below the surface of the skin, appears to be connected with the lateral line nerve. The lack of stereo- and kinocilia on the one hand, and the presence of a central rod and a terminal pore on the other, demonstrate that the cutaneous papillae in C. atrum cannot be regarded as typical lateral-line neuromasts. They share several features with electroreceptors, known from other fishes. It is postulated that C. atrum and other deep-sea species with similar skin papillae have been able to partially substitute vision and other senses useful for orientation by electroreception.