BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 November 2006 THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OF LARVAL ARGULUS JAPONICUS (BRANCHIURA)
Quinton Tam, Annemarié Avenant-Oldewage
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The digestive system of first stage Argulus japonicus larvae is described following reconstruction from serial sections. The morphology of the digestive tract is similar to adult branchiurans. It consists of an esophagus, esophageal funnel, anterior midgut (crop), midgut diverticula, posterior midgut (intestine) and a hindgut. However, the epithelial cells lining the midgut of newly hatched larvae contain large amounts of yolk. The midgut diverticula are less ramified than in the adult and arise from the anterior midgut as two main arms which branch anteriorly and posteriorly into the carapace. The posterior midgut is lined with large swollen cuboidal epithelium with large vacuoles and a ciliated border, whereas the adult posterior midgut is lined by large papilliform cells. Argulus japonicus larvae survive a day after hatching without nutrition from a host. First stage larvae feed mainly on host epithelial cells and mucus. There was no blood observed in the lumen of the digestive system.

Quinton Tam and Annemarié Avenant-Oldewage "THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OF LARVAL ARGULUS JAPONICUS (BRANCHIURA)," Journal of Crustacean Biology 26(4), 447-454, (1 November 2006). https://doi.org/10.1651/S-2680.1
Received: 29 October 2005; Accepted: 1 March 2006; Published: 1 November 2006
JOURNAL ARTICLE
8 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top