The structure and cytochemistry of the neurosecretory cells in Ocypoda platytarsis Milne Edwards (Crustacea: Brachyura).

Four types of NS cells ('A', 'B', 'C' and 'D') in the brain, thoracic ganglion and four types ('alpha', 'beta', 'gamma' and 'delta') in the eye-stalk of Ocypoda platytarsis have been encountered. The cells in the brain occur in groups. Five groups have been noticed in the brain. Of the five groups the ventro-median group is unpaired and homogenous. In the other four one is unpaired and three are paired, and all are heterogenous. In the eyestalk the NS cells are distributed in 6 groups. They are MEX1, MIX1, MTX1, MTX2, MTX3 and MTX4. Of these MEX1 and MTX4 are homogenous. A battery of histochemical tests applied to NS cells revealed that the NS material is rich in carbohydrate moiety, disulfide groups, lipids, phospholipids and RNA. It contains little sulfhydryl groups, protein bound NH2 groups and no tyrosine, tryptophan and arginine.