Ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of Raillietina (Raillietina) baeri (Cyclophyllidea, Davaineidae) an intestinal parasite of the multimammate rat, Mastomys huberti (Rodentia, Muridae).

Abstract

The mature Raillietina (Raillietina) baeri spermatozoon exhibits an apical cone of electron-dense material about 2.5 microm long and 0.5 microm wide and two helicoidal crest-like bodies roughly 100-125 nm thick. The latter are of different lengths, spiralized and stand in an angle of about 50 degrees with the spermatozoon axis. The axoneme is of the 9 + "1" pattern and does not reach the posterior extremity of the gamete. The nucleus is an electron-dense cord coiled in a spiral around the axoneme. The cytoplasm exhibits a posterior densification and contains few small electron-dense granules in regions I, II and V of the spermatozoon. In regions III and IV, it is divided into irregular compartments by walls of electron-dense material. The cortical microtubules are spiralized and make an angle of 40-50 degrees to the spermatozoon axis. In this work, we describe, for the first time, a spermatozoon of a davaineidaean cestode parasitic of mammals. This has enabled us to show a wide apical cone, which has never been described before in a cyclophyllidean species the spermatozoon of which has two crest-like bodies.