- Published:
Microanatomy of the cubopolyp,Tripedalia cystophora (Class Cubozoa)
Helgoländer wissenschaftliche Meeresuntersuchungen volume 31, pages 128–168 (1978)
Abstract
The microanatomy of a cubopolyp (polypoid stage of Cubomedusae) is described for the first time. The 0.5–1.0 mm long polyp ofTripedialia cystophora has an oral cone with special lip cells at the mouth. Next is a baggy calyx occasionally followed by a slender stalk. The basal region is surrounded by a thin periderm. A single row of tentacles is at the oral cone/calyx junction. The mesoglea is thin and non-cellular. The muscular system of the ectoderm is composed of smooth longitudinal epitheliomuscular cells in the oral cone, tentacle, stalk and calyx. The calyx ectoderm also sends longitudinal muscle fibers into the mesoglea. The mesogleal muscle fibers seem to contain paramyosin and perhaps are doubly innervated: one set of neurites for contraction and one for relaxation. A circular endodermal system of filaments, probably actin, is found in all regions. The tentacles have a solid core of a single row of endodermal cells capable of phagocytosis. The ectodermal tip is swollen with longitudinally aligned nematocysts. The distal part of the tentacle contains striated ectodermal myofibers. The nervous system is unique in having an endodermal/ectodermal nerve ring pair at the calyx/oral cone junction. Ganglion cells are not apparent. Presumed sense cells have complicated microvilli and no flagellar rootlet. A cell fitting the description of a neurosecretory neurone is especially prominent in the oral cone's endoderm. It has a major process reaching the coelenteron. Round macrogranular cells corresponding to the amoebocytes of the Scyphozoa and Anthozoa are found. There are no interstitial cells. The oral cone's flagellated endoderm is made up of mucous cells, cells with small dark granules, cells with large granules and rodlets in the cytoplasm, and a few absorptive cells. The calyx endoderm is very thick (120 μm) and is made up of flagellated absorptive, mucous and granular cells. Ingested food is transformed into basal droplets. 4 size and shape types of the microbasic eurytele category make up the cnidome. The largest nematocyst types are found at the tentacle's tip. Like a hydropolyp, the cubopolyp lacks gastral septa and is in other features radially symmetrical. Like a scyphopolyp, the cubopolyp has mesogleal muscles and no interstitial cells. Unique histological features are the nerve rings and tentacular striated muscles.
Literature Cited
Arneson, A. C. & Cutress, C. E., 1976. Life history ofCarybdea alata Reynaud, 1830 (Cubomedusae). In: Coelenterate Ecology and Behavior. Ed. by G. O. Mackie. Plenum Press, New York, 744 pp.
Barka, T. & Anderson, P. J., 1963. Histochemistry. Harper & Row, New York, 660 pp.
Bone, Q., 1972. Some notes on histological methods for peripheral nerves. Med. Lab. Technol.29, 319–324.
Bouillon, J., 1966. Les cellules glandulaires des hydroïdes et hydroméduses. Leur structure et la nature de leurs sécrétions. Cah. Biol. mar.7, 157–205.
—, 1968. Introduction to coelenterates. In: Chemical zoology. Ed. by M. Florkin & B. T. Scheer. Acad. Press, New York,2, 1–639.
Chapman, D. M., 1965. Co-ordination in a scyphistoma. Am. Zool.5, 455–464.
—, 1966. Evolution of the scyphistoma. Symp. zool. Soc. Lond.16, 51–75
—, 1968. Structure, histochemistry and formation of the podocyst ofAurelia aurita. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K.48, 187–208.
—, 1969. The nature of cnidarian desmocytes. Tissue Cell1, 619–632.
—, 1970. Reextension mechanism of a scyphistoma's tentacle. Can. J. Zool.48, 931–943.
—, 1973. Behavior and flagellar currents in coronate polyps (Scyphozoa) and comparisons with semaeostome polyps. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.25, 214–227.
—, 1974. Cnidarian histology. In: Coelenterate biology. Ed. by L. Muscatine & H. M. Lenhoff. Acad. Press, New York, 92 pp.
—, 1975. Dichromatism of bromphenol blue, with an improvement in the mercuric bromphenol blue technic for protein. Stain Technol.50, 25–30.
—, & James, R., 1973. Intraepithelial flagella in the medusa ofAurelia aurita (L.). Publs Seto mar. biol. Lab.20, 731–743.
Conant, F. S., 1889. The Cubomedusae. Mem. biol. Lab. Johns Hopkins Univ.4, 1–61.
Cutress, C. E. & Studebaker, J. P., 1973. Development of the cubomedusa,Carybdea marsupialis. Proc. Ass. Is. mar. Lab. Caribb.9, 25.
Dorey, A. E., 1965. The organization and replacement of the epidermis in acoelous turbellarians. Quart. J. microsc Sci.106, 147–172.
Drury, R. A. B., & Wallington, E. A., 1967. Carleton's Histological Technique. Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 432 pp.
Ebashi, S. & Nonomura, Y., 1973. Proteins of the myofibrils. In: The structure and function of muscle. Ed. by G. H. Bourne. Acad. Press, New York,3, 285–362.
Falck, B. & Owman, C., 1968. 5-hydroxytryptamine and related amines in endocrine cell systems. Adv. Pharmacol.6A, 211–231.
Forssmann, W. G., Orci, L., Pictet, R., Renold, A. E. & Rouiller, C., 1969. The endocrine cells in the epithelium of the gastrointestinal mucosa of the rat. J. Cell Biol.40, 692–715.
Goldman, R. D., 1975. The use of heavy meromyosin binding as an ultrastructural cytochemical method for localizing and determining the possible functions of actin-like microfilaments in nonmuscle cells. J. Histochem. Cytochem.23, 529–542.
Henkart, M., 1975. Light-induced changes in the structure of pigmented granules inAplysia neurons. Science, N.Y.188, 155–157.
Hyman, L. H., 1940. The invertebrates. McGraw-Hill, New York,1, 1–726 pp.
Kay, D. H. (Ed.), 1965. Techniques for electron microscopy. Blackwell, Oxford, 560 pp.
Korn, H., 1966. Zur ontogenetischen Differenzierung der Coelenteratengewebe (Polyp-Stadium) unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Nervensystems. Z. Morphol. Tiere.57, 1–118.
Lillie, R. D., 1965. Histopathologic Technic and Practical Histochemistry. McGraw-Hill, New York, 715 pp.
Monné, L., 1960. On the physiological role of the polyphenols in cell and tissue envelopes. Ark. Zool.13, 287–298.
Morrison, C. M. & Odense, P. H., 1974. Ultrastructure of some pelecypod adductor muscles. J. Ultrastruct. Res.49, 228–251.
Okada, Y. K., 1927. Note sur l'ontogénie deCarybdea rastonii Haacke. Bull. biol. Fr. Belg.61, 241–248.
Pantin C. F. A., 1960. Notes on microscopical technique for zoologists. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 77 pp.
Pearse A. G. E., 1968. Histochemistry, theoretical and applied. Churchill, London,1, 1–759.
—, 1972. Histochemistry theoretical and applied. Churchill London,2, 760–1518.
Perkins, F. O., Ramsey, R. W. & Street, S. F., 1971. The ultrastructure of fishing tentacle muscle in the jellyfishChrysaora quinquecirrha: a comparison of contracted and relaxed states. J. Ultrastruct. Res.35, 431–450.
Prosser, C. L. (Ed.), 1973. Comparative animal physiology. Saunders, Philadelphia, 966 pp.
Richardson, K. C., Jarett, L., & Finke, E. H., 1960. Embedding in epoxy resins for ultrathin sectioning in electron microscopy. Stain Technol.35, 313–323.
Slautterback, D. B., 1967. Coated vesicles in absorptive cell, ofHydra. J. Cell Sci.2, 563–572.
Spurr, A. R., 1969. A low-viscosity epoxy resin embedding medium for electron microscopy. J. Ultrastruct. Res.26, 31–43.
Swanson, C. J., 1971a. Occurrence of paramyosin among the Nematomorpha. Nature, Lond. (New Biol.)232, 122–123.
—, 1971b. Isometric responses of the paramyosin smooth muscle ofParagordius varius (Leidy), (Aschelminthes, Nematomorpha). Z. vergl. Physiol.74, 403–410.
Twarog, B. M., 1954. Responses of a molluscan smooth muscle to acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine. J. cell. comp. Physiol.44, 141–163.
Venable, J. H., & Coggeshall, R., 1965. A simplified lead citrate stain for use in electron microscopy. J. Cell Biol.25, 407–408.
Werner, B., 1973. New investigations on systematics and evolution of the class Scyphozoa and the phylum Cnidaria. Publ. Seto mar. biol. Lab.20, 35–61.
—, 1975. Bau und Lebensgeschichte des Polypen vonTripedalia cystophora (Cubozoa, class. nov., Carybdeidae) und seine Bedeutung für die Evolution der Cnidaria. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.27, 461–504.
—, Cutres, Cc. E. & Studebaker, J. P., 1971. Life cycle ofTripedalia cystophora Conant (Cubomedusae). Nature, Lond.232, 582–583.
—, Chapman, D. M., & Cutress, Ch. E., 1976. Muscular and nervous systems of the Cubopolyp (Cnidaria). Experientia32, 1047–1048.
Wood, J. G., & Lentz, T. L., 1964. Histochemical localization of amines inHydra and in the sea anemone. Nature, Lond.201, 88–90.
Yensen, J., 1968. Removal of expoxy resin from histological sections following halogenation. Stain Technol.43, 344–346.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chapman, D.M. Microanatomy of the cubopolyp,Tripedalia cystophora (Class Cubozoa). Helgolander Wiss. Meeresunters 31, 128–168 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02296994
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02296994