The surface topography and ultrastructure of the tegument and haptor of Pricea multae (Monogenea)

Abstract

Ramasamy P., Hanna R. E. B. and Threadgold L. T. 1986. The surface topography and ultrastructure of the tegument and haptor of Pricea multae (Monogenea). International Journal for Parasitology 16: 581–589. Pricea multae is a gill parasite of Scomberomorus spp. In the present study, the surface specialization and ultrastructure of the tegument and haptor were examined in detail. The buccal cavity and the preoral pit bear uniciliated sensory endings. The genital atrium opens on the ventral surface whereas the vaginal pore opens on the dorsal surface of the anterior region. The general body surface is elevated by pits and folds together with papillae-like uniciliated sensory endings. Microvilli are uncommon. The syncytium of the tegument is bounded by apical and basal plasma membranes. Some electron-dense granules and electron-lucent vesicles were observed exocytosing at the apical surface. The tegumental perikarya lie amongst the muscle blocks underneath the basal lamina. The body wall muscle fibres are non-striated consisting of thick and thin myofilaments. Each muscle fibre is limited by a sarcolemma and separated from neighbouring fibres by interstitial material. The haptor possesses two rows of pincer-type clamps. The clamps may be withdrawn by muscles into cavity-like depressions. Electron-dense fibrils are embedded within the clamp sclerite matrix. The intrinsic muscles of the clamp include radial muscles enclosed within the basal lamina. The muscle fibres enclosed within the basal lamina of the clamp appear to differ from the body wall muscles by the absence of interstitial material, the possession of well defined gap junctions between the sarcolemma of adjacent muscle fibres, abundant sarcoplasmic reticulum and numerous mitochondria. The extrinsic muscles of the clamp presumably arise from the dorso-lateral surface of the haptor and are apparently connected to the tendon of the clamp. A cluster of gland cells occurs in the haptor beneath each clamp. The haptor is richly supplied with nerve fibres which are associated with groups of neurones. Each axon is non-myelinated and contains presumed neurosecretory granules. The peripheries of some of the large axons are subdivided by invaginations of the axon wall.