Ultrastructural studies of spermatozoa in three bivalve species with notes on evolution of elongated sperm nucleus in primitive spermatozoa

Abstract

AbstractSperm ultrastructure and spermiogenesis of the three bivalve species Musculus discors, Nucula sulcata, and Dreissena polymorpha have been studied. During spermatid differentiation in Musculus discors and Nucula sulcata the nucleus attains an elongated rod‐like shape. The spermatozoon from Nucula sulcata was found to have a cup‐shaped acrosome and five mitochondria surrounding two centrioles in the middle piece. The spermatozoa from Musculus discors has a long complex acrosome. From the distal centriole striated processes extend and attach to the plasma membrane. The spermatozoon of the fresh water species Dreissena polymorpha agrees in all main features with those of other invertebrate groups with external fertilization. It is thus of the primitive type with barrel‐shaped nucleus and four to five mitochondria1 spheres in the middle piece. The acrosome is a prominant, complex structure at the apex of the mature spermatozoon.A comparison of sperm ultrastructure among bivalves indicates that there is a certain correlation between the evolution of the elongated sperm nucleus and large, yolk‐rich eggs. In species with an elongated sperm nucleus the increased egg size has often led to a lecithotrophic or direct development. The elongated nucleus is a slight modification of the primitive type. There is a great variation in acrosome structure among bivalve spermatozoa, reflecting diverging functional demands at fertilization of the eggs.