FCAV, Departamento de Biologia Aplicada, Laboratório de Morfologia de Invertebrados (IML), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto de Biociências (IB - UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción y el Crecimiento de Crustáceos Decápodos, C1428EGA, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2022 Nov;305(11):3341-3355. doi: 10.1002/ar.24920. Epub 2022 Apr 8.
This study describes the mating behavior of Hypoconcha parasitica under laboratory conditions highlighting the spermathecal morphology and focusing on the seminal fluid storage and release of spermatozoa. The pairs were kept in aquaria where the mating behavior was recorded and described. The spermathecae of the female were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray micro-CT, histology, and histochemistry. No pre- or post-copulatory mate guarding was observed in H. parasitica. The sperm transfer occurred with each pair maintaining the protection shield (bivalve shell) on their dorsum. The pair of spermathecae is covered exclusively by the cuticle, following the Podotremata pattern. Many muscle fiber bundles are attached to the cuticular wall facing toward the cephalothorax cavity, especially covering the lateral and slightly dorso-anterior region toward the apodeme of Sternite 7. The spermathecal organization indicates that the process of sperm release during fertilization occurs through muscular action exerted by the female on the wall of the chamber. Thus, the musculature distribution in Hypoconchinae distinguishes them from described for other Podotremata such as Homolidae, which shows the musculature associated with the spermathecae aperture. Like the Homolidae, the first pleopod in H. parasitica seems to take part in the transfer/ movement of spermatozoa and oocytes between the sternum and abdomen, which forms a temporary chamber where fertilization occurs. In conclusion, the spermathecal morphology and associated structures bring new insights to the mechanisms involved in the sperm storage and fertilization of primitive crabs and how the Dromiidae spermatheca perform a new pattern among the poorly studied Podotremata.
本研究描述了 Hypoconcha parasitica 在实验室条件下的交配行为，重点介绍了受精囊的形态，并关注精子的储存和释放。将配对的个体饲养在水族箱中，记录并描述其交配行为。通过扫描电子显微镜、X 射线微计算机断层扫描、组织学和组织化学分析雌性的受精囊。在 H. parasitica 中未观察到交配前或交配后的配偶保护。精子转移发生在每一对个体保持在背部的保护盾（双壳贝壳）的情况下。一对受精囊完全被角质层覆盖，遵循 Podotremata 模式。许多肌纤维束附着在面向头胸部腔的角质层壁上，特别是在侧部和略向背前部，朝向 7 节腹板的附肢。受精囊的组织表明，在受精过程中释放精子的过程是通过雌性对腔壁施加肌肉作用来实现的。因此，Hypoconchinae 的肌肉组织分布将它们与描述的其他 Podotremata 区分开来，如 Homolidae，后者显示了与受精囊开口相关的肌肉组织。与 Homolidae 一样，H. parasitica 的第一对步足似乎参与了精子和卵子在胸骨和腹部之间的转移/运动，形成了一个临时腔，受精发生在其中。总之，受精囊的形态和相关结构为原始螃蟹的精子储存和受精机制以及 Dromiidae 受精囊在研究较少的 Podotremata 中表现出的新模式提供了新的见解。
