Summary
Numerous short ciliary structures are described in immature spermatozoa of a marine catenulid,Retronectes atypica (Doe and Rieger, 1977). These ciliary structures are associated with spherical bodies consisting of concentric flat vesicles. Since such spherical bodies have been described for several other species of Retronectidae (Sterrer and Rieger, 1974), it is assumed that the multiple ciliary structures may be a characteristic of the whole family. Nuclear morphology and other cytological structures are described for mature and immature stages of spermatogenesis. The finding of these ciliary structures is thought to underline the unique and isolated position of the Catenulida within the Platyhelminthes and the lower worms as a whole.
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Rieger, P.M. Multiple ciliary stuctures in developing spermatozoa of marine Catenulida (Turbellaria). Zoomorphologie 89, 229–236 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00993949
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00993949