Degrees of vacuolation of the absorptive intestinal cells of five Sagitta (Chaetognatha) species: possible ecophysiological implications

The cell organization and ultrastructure of the intestine have been studied in five species of Sagitta, one epiplanktonic (S. bipunctata Quoy and Gaimard, 1827), four mesoplanktonic (S. megalophthalma Dallot and Ducret, 1969, S. decipiens Fowler, 1905, S. minima Grassi, 1881, S. zetesios Fowler, 1905). The intestinal epithelium is composed of two ciliated cell types. The first (S-cell) principally occurs in the anterior intestine and represents typical secretory cells. The second (A-cell) occurs in the median and posterior intestine and displays ultrastructural features involved in absorption and intracellular digestion, that is, coated pits, endocytotic vesicles, cytoplasmic tubules, and two distinct types of digestive vacuoles. Whereas S-cells exhibit few ultrastructural differences among the five species, the vacuolar volume of the A-cells located in the mid portion of the intestine is higher in the mesoplanktonic species. In S. zetesios and S. megalophthalma, each side of the median intestine comprises several hypervacuolated A-cells visible in transverse section; their degree of vacuolation is inversely proportional to their number. The increased volume of the intestinal vacuoles is most marked in S. decipiens and S. minima; in both these species, each lateral side of the median intestine displays a single ultravacuolated A-cell. The possible ecophysiological implications of intestinal vacuoles are discussed in relation to patterns of the vertical distribution of several Sagitta species. The vacuoles are presumed to regulate buoyancy, enabling the mesoplanktonic species to make vertical diel migrations. Received: 22 January 2000 / Accepted: 28 July 2000