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Fig. 8 | Helgoland Marine Research

Fig. 8

From: In the Asia-Pacific region, the COI DNA test revealed the divergence of the bivalve mollusc Mactra chinensis into three species; can these species be distinguished using shell coloration and sperm structure?

Fig. 8

Spermatozoa of the bivalve mollusc Mactra chinensis by scanning electron microscopy. A–H Spermatozoa of M. chinensis collected in the Yellow Sea (China) and belonging to COI clade III. I–K Spermatozoa of M. chinensis collected in the Sea of Japan (Russia) and belonging to COI clade I. L–N Spermatozoa of M. chinensis collected in the Sea of Japan (South Korea) and related to COI clade II. Please note that SPERM1, which has an acrosome without an acrosomal protrusion (A, E, I, L), as well as SPERM2, which has an acrosome with an acrosomal protrusion of 0.4 μm long (B, F, J, M), and SPERM3, having an acrosome with an acrosomal protrusion of 0.6 μm long (C, G, K, N), constitute a universal set of M. chinensis spermatozoa. Also note that SPERM4 with acrosomes having a protrusion of 0.8 μm long (D, H) occurs only in M. chinensis collected in the Yellow Sea, China. a acrosome; n nucleus; m mitochondrion; f flagellum; arrowheads show acrosomal projections. Scale bar—0.5 µm

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Helgoland Marine Research

ISSN: 1438-3888

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