Abstract
Investigation with light and electron microscopy has been made of the cement apparatus of the mature male Neoechinorhynchus rutili, a parasite of Gasterosteus aculeatus. N. rutili possesses a single compact mass of glandular tissue (cement gland) with eight giant nuclei. The nucleus is lobe-shaped and has a conspicuous nucleolus with a granular appearance. The cytoplasm of the gland contains prominent rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and electron dense secretory granules. A short duct connects the gland with a single, separate cement reservoir. The duct appears to lack a lumen and is seen as an electron-dense, compact structure. Many microtubules of approximately 150 nm outer diameter are located throughout the cytoplasm of the duct. It is proposed that the microtubules in N. rutili are responsible for the transport of cement granules from the gland to the reservoir. The cement reservoir appears as a compact organ filled with granules measuring at least 0.5 microm in diameter.
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