Ultrastructure of spermiogenesis and the spermatozoon in the genus Joyeuxiella Fuhrmann, 1935 (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea, Dipylidiidae): comparative analysis of J. echinorhynchoides (Sonsino, 1889) and J. pasqualei (Diamare, 1893)

Abstract

This paper describes the ultrastructure of spermiogenesis and the mature spermatozoon of two Dipylidiidae cestodes, Joyeuxiella echinorhynchoides and J. pasqualei. In both species, spermiogenesis follows the type III described by Bâ and Marchand for the cyclophyllideans. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note the presence of striated roots associated with the centrioles. The spermatozoon presents the same ultrastructural features in J. echinorhynchoides and J. pasqualei. The apical cone in the anterior extremity of the sperm is more than 2.0 microm long in both J. echinorhynchoides and J. pasqualei. Both species present a single crest-like body, 150 nm thick in J. echinorhynchoides and 75 nm thick in J. pasqualei. The cortical microtubules are spiralled at an angle of 40-45 degrees to the spermatozoon axis in both Joyeuxiella species. A periaxonemal sheath and glycogen granules are also described in the mature sperm. We also describe, for the first time, the disposition of glycogen granules in two opposed and spiralled cords in cestodes and the formation of the periaxonemal sheath in the final stage of spermiogenesis.