Male reproductive system and sperm ultrastructure of sesarmid crab Episesarma singaporense (Tweedie, 1936)
Issued Date
2024-04-01
Resource Type
ISSN
15131874
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85194773421
Journal Title
ScienceAsia
Volume
50
Issue
2
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
ScienceAsia Vol.50 No.2 (2024)
Suggested Citation
Sudtongkong C., Kong-Oh S., Wirachwong P., Senarat S., Kenthao A., Sukparangsi W., Kongtueng P., Iida A., Tongnunui S. Male reproductive system and sperm ultrastructure of sesarmid crab Episesarma singaporense (Tweedie, 1936). ScienceAsia Vol.50 No.2 (2024). doi:10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2024.054 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/98638
Title
Male reproductive system and sperm ultrastructure of sesarmid crab Episesarma singaporense (Tweedie, 1936)
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
The popularity of sesarmid crab Episesarma singaporense (Tweedie, 1936) in Thai and Southeast Asian cuisine has put the species under pressure. However, sesarmids are important for nutrient cycling within mangrove ecosystems, and losses of the species due to overfishing could have a wide impact. Although the crab reproductive system has been well reported, our study aimed to describe the male reproductive system of E. singaporense in detail, using light and electron microscopy. We elucidated histological characters of the male reproductive tract, including the anterior, median and posterior vas deferens, showing the presence of droplet secretion and spermatophores, an accessory gland with basophilic secretion, and testes composed of active spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis. Five main phases of spermatogenesis were identified: spermatogonia (Sg), primary spermatocytes (PSc), secondary spermatocytes (SSc), spermatids (Sp), and spermatozoa (Sz). The Sg, the PSc, and the SSc stages could be further divided into substages of two Sg, six meiotic PSc, and two meiotic SSc substages, respectively. Since spermatozoa of sesarmid crabs are aflagellate, the substages of spermatid-spermatozoa cell differentiation could not be visualized by light microscope. Therefore, electron microscope was used to provide more detail of the successive changes in nuclear architecture, acrosome patterns, and perforatorium. It was also firstly noted that the anterior vas deferens (AVD) of E. singaporense comprised two parts: the proximal portion (AVDp) and the distal portion (AVDd). The study results increased our understanding of the effects of different seasonally changed nutrients on the reproductive development of E. singaporense.
