Utrastructural study of oogenesis and oocytic degeneration in Pecten maximus from the Bay of St. Brieuc

An ultrastructural study of oocytic development enabled the identification of changes occurring during oogenesis in Pecten maximus collected from the Bay of St. Brieuc, France, in 1987. Auxiliary cells, closely associated with developing oocytes were observed. Each oocyte seems to be associated with only one secretory cell, which is characterised by an abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum at the onset of vitellogenesis. Contact between this cell and a developing oocyte is maintained by a desmosome-like junction which can be observed when the vitelline coat is formed. These auxiliary cells seem to play a trophic role in vitellogenesis, and may be involved in the formation of the vitelline coat of the oocytes. Oocytic degeneration is discussed in detail; in this species, it is a continuous phenomenon of varying intensity throughout the year. The ultrastructural changes resulting in lysis of the oocyte are described, and the evolution of atretic oocytes is examined.     

栉孔扇贝卵发生的超微结构和细胞化学

对栉孔扇贝Ｃｈｌａｍｙｓｆａｒｒｅｒｉ 的卵原细胞和卵母细胞发育过程的超微结构和细胞化学研究结果表明：卵原细胞的胞质中含大量的游离核糖体,细胞器不发达,蛋白质和ＲＮＡ丰富而糖元贫乏;卵黄生成之前,卵母细胞中的核质膨大为生发泡;核仁发达,胞质中线粒体大为增多;卵黄体和皮层颗粒首先出现于核周,接近线粒体聚集处;卵黄生成盛期,卵母细胞的胞质内具平行片层粗面内质网和同心圆状粗面内质网,它们是生成卵黄体和皮层颗粒的主要细胞器,线粒体和高尔基器也参与了这两种内含物的生成;微胞饮作用也为细胞的发育提供某些物质;卵黄体含蛋白质和糖元,皮层颗粒富含多糖类;卵黄膜形成始于卵黄生成初期,先是细胞游离端的胞质出现一个富含多糖的突起,突起部的质膜微绒毛化,微绒毛分泌产生由中性多糖构成的卵黄膜,继而向四周扩展,并于卵母细胞成熟时覆盖整个细胞;ＲＮＡ 合成贯穿于卵母细胞的整个发育期,延续至卵黄生成结束之后,成熟分裂临近之时．     

Oocyte development in the kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus

Female kuruma prawns (Penaeus japonicus Bate) with undeveloped, early developing, developing, nearly ripe and ripe ovaries, were collected from Ise Bay, Japan, in 1984. Oocyte development of the kuruma prawn was classified into ten stages according to morphological characters, namely: (1) synapsis stage, (2) chromatin nucleolus stage, (3) early perinucleolus stage, (4) late perinucleolus stage, (5) oil globule Stage I, (6) oil globule Stage II, (7) yolkless stage, (8) yolk granule stage, (9) prematuration stage, and (10) maturation stage. The synapsis stage is a multiplication stage. The chromatin nucleolus stage, early and late perinucleolus stages are previtellogenesis and primary growth stages. Oil globule Stage I is an initial stage of primary vitellogenesis and secondary growth. Follicle cells on the oil globule Stage I oocytes expand rapidly and reach maximum size during oogenesis. Yolk granule stage oocytes are in the initial stages of secondary vitellogenesis. Strongly acidophilic yolk granules accumulate within basophilic vesicles of the cytoplasm. The yolk granules are first concentrated in the inner part of the cytoplasm, then gradually spread to the periphery. Cortical crypts, which are separated from the oocyte cytoplasm by the cytoplasmic membrane, are situated outside of oocyte cytoplasm. Germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) is initiated in the late phase of prematuration and continues until the late phase of maturation immediately prior to spawning. At the beginning of the maturation stage, the oocytes are ovulated, after which the nuclei further shrink and migrate out-wards. After ovulation, meiotic division of the ovarian oocyte progressed up to the metaphase of primary maturation division. Finally, the meiotic metaphase is visible just beneath the cytoplasmic membrane in the mature oocyte. Though ovulation is synchronous within the same ovary, GVBD is not completely synchronous. Ovulated mature oocytes have many club-shaped cortical crypts in the peripheral part of the cytoplasm and contain extensive accumulations of yolk granules dispersed throughout the cytoplasm. The apical end of the club-shaped cortical crypts and cytoplasmic membrane are coated by the vitellin envelope in the mature oocyte.     

中国淡水蛏卵子发生的超微结构

运用透射电镜研究中国淡水蛏Novaculina chinensis卵子发生过程中细胞和细胞器的超微结构变化,结果表明,卵原细胞的胞质含有丰富的核糖体及少量线粒体和内质网,其它细胞器不发达,卵黄合成前期,卵母细胞胞体增大,线粒体较多,量小泡装和条索状的内质网;同时随着发育的进行,出现卵黄膜、合成少量卵黄粒及产生大量脂滴,卵黄全成期卵母细胞胞体迅速增大,细胞核伸出伪足状突起;胞 内出现丰富的线粒体、溶酶体及结构独特的内质网、卵黄粒越来越多,而脂滴越来越少,成熟期卵母细胞胞体达到最大,细胞器不发达,胞质中充满大量卵黄粒,仅少量脂滴。首次观察到卵母细胞表面伸出伪足状突起,这也是外源卵黄发生的证据。讨论了中国淡水蛏卵子发生的特点.     

Oogenesis and spawn-formation in the pigmy lion fish Dendrochirus brachypterus (Pteroidae)

Dendrochirus brachypterus possesses a special type of ovary in which the germinative epithelium surrounds a spongy stroma hanging in the lumen. The inner side of the ovarian wall is covered by a special type of epithelium that produces a gelatinous envelope around the gametes (spawn) during reproduction. In general, oogenesis in the lion fish resembles that of other teleosts, the characteristic difference being in the formation of ovigerous peduncles-protrusions of the spongy stroma, each of which bears a single oocyte. During oogenesis the oocytes rise above the germinal epithelium, enveloped in their follicular epithelia. The larger the oocyte the greater the length of its peduncles and the further its position from the germinal layer (Fig. 3). During this phase of development, a marked multiplication of yolk granules occurs; they increase their diameter and finally homogenize at ovulation. Under favorable thermal conditions, oogenesis continues all year round. The peduncular growth of oocytes enables the growing egg cells to move away from the egg-producing surface, thus making space available for the ovary to produce more eggs. This ability should have a survival value for these fish if we take into consideration that the most vulnerable stage in their life history is that of planktonic larvae (Fishelson, 1975).     

Ovary structure and oogenesis in Cirratulus cirratus (Polychaeta: Cirratulidae)

Oogenesis in polychaetes has, in most species, two main phases: a coelomic phase during which vitellogenesis occurs, and an ovarian phase. Details of the latter are known in very few species. Efficient reproduction requires coordination between these two phases of oocyte differentiation. The ovaries of Cirratulus cirratus (O. F. Müller) occur 2/segment throughout the fertile region of the body; 5 main stages of oocyte differentiation can be recognised on them: stem cells, oogonia, premeiotic oocytes, early oocytes and terminal oocytes. A quantitative study of the composition of the ovary throughout the reproductive cycle shows that the ovary size is approximately constant, but that the percentage of cells in the terminal oocyte stage is reduced to zero prior to spawning. This stage in oocyte differentiation is therefore a critical one, at which oogenesis may be arrested. The ovary alternates between a proliferative phase when the terminal oocytes are present, and a non-proliferative phase when they are absent. The overall rate of germ cell production for each ovary is low, less than 1 cell/ovary/day, and the, ovary tissue turnover time is greater than 2 years. A qualitative model describing the production of oocytes is presented, and the implications of the low rate of germ cell production are discussed. A low rate of germ cell proliferation, as in Cirratulus cirratus, implies that the rate of oocyte output into the coelom will be controlled by factors influencing the later stages of ovarian oocyte differentiation.     

Ultrastructure of the ovary and oogenesis in the jellyfish Linuche unguiculata and Stomolophus meleagris,with a review of ovarian structure in the Scyphozoa

Ovarian structure and oogenesis has been examined in six scyphozoan species including the semaeostome Diplumularis antarctica Maas, 1908 (collected in 1987 in McMurdo Sound, Antarctic), the rhizostomes Cassiopea xamachana Bigelow, 1892 (collected in Belize in 1988), and Stomolophus meleagris L. Agassiz, 1862 (collected in Ft. Pierce Inlet in 1988), and the coronates Periphylla periphylla (Peron and Lesueur, 1810), Nausithoe atlantica Broch, 1914 (both collected in the Bahamas in 1988), and Linuche unguiculata (Schwartz, 1788) (collected in Nassau Harbor, Bahama Islands in 1989). Based on these findings and information on five other scyphozoan species from additional literature sources, at least two fundamentally different types of ovaries exist in the Scyphozoa. In semaeosotome and rhizostome species, oocytes develop in close association with specialized gastrodermal cells called trophocytes which may serve a nutritive function. However, coronate species lack trophocytes and oocytes develop freely in the mesoglea. The ovaries of S. meleagris and L. unguiculata are used as models to represent the ultrastructural events occurring during oogenesis in species having trophocytes and those lacking them, respectively. In both L. unguiculata and S. meleagris, the ovaries arise as evaginations of the gastrodermis in the floor of interradial pouches. Germ cells appear to originate from endodermally-derived gastrodermal cells and migrate into the mesoglea prior to vitellogenesis. In L. unguiculata, the oocytes develop freely within the mesoglea throughout vitellogenesis, while in S. meleagris each oocyte maintains contact with specialized gastrodermal cells called trophocytes. In the vitellogenic oocytes of both species, numerous invaginations of the oolemma result in the formation of intraooplasmic channels throughout the ooplasm. These channels are intimately associated with cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum and may play some role in yolk precursor uptake by substantially increasing the surface area of the oocyte. Vitellogenesis is similar in both species and involves the autosynthetic activity of the Golge complex and rough endoplasmic reticulum, and the heterosynthetic incorporation of yolk precursors through receptor-mediated endocytosis. However, in the oocytes of S. meleagris, the trophocytes probably play a role in the transfer of nutrients from the gastrovascular cavity to the oocyte. The present study suggests that scyphozoans were among the first metazoans to develop ovarian accessory cells during their reproductive evolution. The trophocyte-oocyte association observed in some scyphozoans is similar to but structurally less complex than the trophonema-oocyte association described from anthozoans. Scyphozoan ovarian morphology helps support the view that the Scyphozoa share a closer phylogenetic relationship with the Anthozoa than with the Hydrozoa.     

Route of egg yolk protein uptake in the oocytes of kuruma prawn,Penaeus japonicus

The route of egg yolk protein uptake into the oocytes of kuruma prawn, Penaeus japonicus, was studied using immunohistochemical and electron microscopical methods. Although a significant immunofluorescence with anti-vitellin-immunoglobulin was observed in the enlarged follicle cells surrounding oil globule stage oocytes of the early vitellogenic ovary, no fluorescence was detected in shrunken follicle cells surrounding oocytes in the yolk granule stage. Electron microscopically, yolk granule stage oocytes have an irregular surface with numerous well-developed microvilli. In contrast, the surface of follicle cells is relatively smooth. The irregular surface of yolk granule stage oocytes was covered with a layer of electron dense material. Similar dense material was found in the spaces between the neighboring follicle cells on the yolk granule stage oocytes. The outer surface of the follicle cells on yolk granule stage oocytes was covered by dense materials which were similar to those found on the irregular surface of oocytes. Micropinocytotic vesicles containing dense material were found in the ooplasm near the irregular surface with numerous well-developed microvilli. Dense material was concentrated in the peripheral part of the small forming yolk bodies of yolk granule stage oocytes. This suggests that the electron dense material, probably egg yolk protein, transferred to the surface of yolk granule stage oocytes from the spaces between the neighboring follicle cells may be incorporated into the ooplasm by pinocytosis through the microvilli and subsequently aggregate to form yolk bodies.     

Growth and reproductive biology of the small penaeid shrimp Trachysalambria curvirostris in Tokyo Bay

We investigated the growth and reproductive biology of the penaeid shrimp Trachysalambria curvirostris in Tokyo Bay, Japan, by monthly bottom-trawl surveys from May 2002 to December 2004. We also examined oogenesis in T. curvirostris by histological observation of the ovary. Females grew faster and attained a larger body size for age than males. The growth rate was high in summer and low in winter and was likely to be associated with seasonal changes in water temperature. The carapace length (CL) at which 50% of females contained vitellogenic oocytes was estimated to be 17.0 mm. The reproductive season extended from May to October. Young-of-the-year appeared in October and could be traced across the months on CL histograms to the following September or October, indicating a 1-year life cycle. This extended reproductive season, together with our observation of asynchronous development of oocytes in the ovary, suggests that multiple spawning by individual females may occur during the reproductive season. Postovulated oocytes were not found among the samples we collected during the daytime, suggesting that final oocyte maturation and spawning occur at night. Cortical crypts in the cytoplasm of the oocyte, considered to be a general feature of oogenesis in penaeid shrimps, were not found in T. curvirostris, even in oocytes undergoing germinal vesicle breakdown. This result implies that the cortical reaction after spawning of T. curvirostris may be different from that of other penaeid shrimps.     

Reproduction in the sea pen <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pennatula phosphorea</Emphasis> (Anthozoa: Pennatulacea) from the west coast of Scotland

Reproduction in the sea pen Pennatula phosphorea Linnaeus 1758 was investigated in a population located in southern Loch Linnhe, west Scotland. This was accomplished through analysis of trends in oocyte size-frequency distribution and fecundity over a 12-month period. Pennatula phosphorea is dioecious and the study population exhibited a sex ratio of 1:1. Oogenesis in female P. phosphorea is characterised by the maintenance of a large pool of small oocytes throughout the year of which a small proportion (<30%) mature synchronously and are broadcast-spawned during the summer months of July and/or August. Although spawning occurs annually, the duration of oogenesis exceeds 12 months. Initial oocyte generation is best described as ‘quasi-continuous’ as it may be suppressed during winter. The timing and periodicity of oogenesis and spawning may be related to seasonal environmental cues and it is proposed that annual spawning constitutes a brief and synchronous event. Fecundity is high in P. phosphorea, typically up to 50 oocytes per polyp and 40,000 oocytes per colony in medium to large colonies. Although mean polyp fecundity increased with colony size (axial rod length) there was no seasonal fluctuation in this measure of relative fecundity. Since only a small proportion of oocytes present are spawned each year, the present study advises caution when making inferences regarding the seasonal output of viable oocytes, especially on occasions where the definition of fecundity or the details of the oogenic cycle of a species are unclear. Pennatula phosphorea produces large oocytes (>500 μm), indicative of the production of lecithotrophic larvae; this may confer certain advantages with respect to larval longevity and survival.     

日本沼虾三种细胞器在精子发生过程中变化的研究

应用透射电镜技术,研究了日本沼虾在精子发生过程中线粒体、溶酶体及内质网的变化．从精原细胞到精子,生精细胞内线粒体数量逐渐增多,结构渐趋复杂化,并形成衍生物,参与精子顶体的形成．溶酶体从初级溶酶体逐渐形成次级溶酶体,其中包括包裹溶酶体及溶噬体;部分溶酶体构成精子顶体的一部分．精子发生的全过程中,未见典型的粗面内质网（ＲＥＲ）,仅见泡状粗面内质网（ＶＲＥＲ）;滑面内质网只在精原细胞期出现．支持细胞的作用包括两个方面：一为支持作用,使生精细胞有一个适宜的发育场所;二为营养作用,为生精细胞的发育提供足够的物质和能量．     

Ultrastructure of the gonad and gametogenesis in the eastern oyster,Crassostrea virginica. I. Ovary and oogenesis

The ultrastructural features of the ovary and oogenesis are described in the eastern oyster,Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791). The ovary is a diffuse organ consisting of highly branching acini in which oocytes develop. The acini are surrounded by a matrix of vesicular connective tissue (VCT tells) which serves a nutrient storage function. Each acinus is bathed by fluid within a surrounding connective tissue compartment, the hemocoel, which likely serves as a means of transporting nutrients to the oocytes. Oocytes begin growth while positioned near to the inner acinus wall. As differentiation proceeds and they enter the late stages of vitellogenesis, they become stalle-shaped and project into the acinus lumen. Follicle tells are closely associated with oocytes during the early and middle stages of vitellogenesis but they are largely confined to the basal, stalked region of late-stage oocytes. Vitellogenesis occurs through a process of autosynthesis, involving the combined activity of the Golgi complex and rough endoplasmic reticulum, and heterosynthesis in which extraovarian precursors are incorporated into oocytes via receptor-mediated endocytosis involving the basal surface of the oocytes. It is suggested that the follicle tells play some important role during oogenesis but probably are not the major source of yolk precursors. The VCT celas are probably the main source of nutrients for vitellogenesis.     

Purification and immunolocalization of a vitellin-like protein from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

A female-specific protein from the hemolymph, and a related ovarian protein were identified in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas using immunological procedures. The latter protein was isolated from ovarian extract by a combination of precipitation in distilled water, ammonium sulfate fractionation, hydroxylapatite chromatography and gel filtration on a Sepharose 6B column, and was identified as a macromolecular glycolipoprotein of 500 kD; sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, under reducing conditions, revealed seven heterogeneous polypeptides. Using a specific antiserum against purified protein, we also examined the immunohistochemical distribution of the protein at light- and electron-microscopic levels. Light microscopy revealed its presence in the oocytes, and electron microscopy identified it in yolk granules and the vitelline coat of the oocytes. These results indicate that the purified protein is a vitellin-like protein. Since no organ other than the ovary reacted with the antiserum, it is probable that the protein is produced inside the ovary, probably autosynthetically by oocytes.     

Reproductive cycle of two populations of Ophionereis schayeri (Ophiuroidea) in New South Wales

Reproduction of two populations of Ophionereis schayeri (Müller and Troschel) in New South Wales was investigated from November 1991 through January 1993. The reproductive cycle was documented by histological examination of the gonads and by image analysis to determine the oocyte size-frequency distributions. Both populations of O. schayeri were mature in December and January and had a major summer spawning period between January and February. Thereafter, the condition of the gonads exhibited interindividual variability, with asynchronous low-intensity gamete release through August. O. schayeri has the potential to spawn for up to 8 mo of the year. This breeding pattern with synchronous spawning in summer and asynchronous gamete release through winter was similar in both populations. During autumn and winter, the gonads contained developing gametes and advanced gametes ready for spawning. The eggs spawned by O. schayeri during these seasons started their growth during the previous spring vitellogenic period, and continued to grow through summer. Upon reaching full size, they were stored for spawning outside the main breeding period. Spring is marked by increased spermatogenic and vitellogenic activity followed by maturation and spawning. Throughout their development, the oocytes of O. schayeri are surrounded by a follicle consisting of periodic acid-Schiff-positive (PAS+) haemal fluid and PAS+ yolk by the oocytes. In the testes, the haemal sinus projects into the centre of the spermatocyte columns, thus appearing to play a nutritive role in support of both oogenesis and spermatogenesis. Late vitellogenic oocytes of O. schayeri are firmly anchored to the germinal epithelium by an attachment complex consisting of specialised attachment cells and basophilic strands that radiate between the oolemma and the nucleus. Spawning is associated with rupture of the follicles, which remain as prominent, empty U-shaped profiles in the ovaries. O. schayeri produces copious numbers of 200 m-diam oocytes, suggesting that this species is a broadcast spawner and that it has a modified ophiopluteus or vitellaria larva.     

Ovarian morphology and oogenesis in Aurelia aurita (Scyphozoa: Semaeostomae): ultrastructural evidence of heterosynthetic yolk formation in a primitive metazoan

In Aurelia aurita, the ovaries arise as horseshoe-shaped evaginations of the gastrodermis in the floor of four interradial gastric pouches. Germ-cell islands arise within endodermally-derived gastrodermal cells. Oocytes grow and gradually bulge into the mesoglea while maintaining physical contact throughout vitellogenesis with specialized cells called trophocytes. Ultrastructural changes suggest that these cells transport yolk precursors from the coelenteron to the oocytes in a manner similar to that reported for the trophonema cells of anthozoan ovaries. Vitellogenesis involves both the autosynthetic activity of the oocyte organelles (Golgi complex and rough endoplasmic reticulum) and the heterosynthetic incorporation of precursors through endocytotic processes involving both coated pits and vesicles and smooth-surfaced tubules. Ultrastructural data suggest that different types or classes of yolk precursors enter the oocyte through the trophocytes and via the surrounding mesoglea. To our knowledge, this is the most primitive animal in which this type of yolk synthesis has been described. The trophocyte-oocyte relationship in oocytes of A. aurita is reminiscent of the trophonema-oocyte relationship in anthozoans and supports the belief that the Anthozoa and Scyphozoa share a close phylogenetic relationship.     

Reproductive strategies of two deep-sea gastropod species from the Porcupine Seabight (Northeast Atlantic)

Two species of small gastropods (<6 mm in length), Amphissa acutecostata (Philippi, 1844) and Gymnobela subaraneosa (Dautzenberg and Fischer, 1896), widely distributed in the northeast Atlantic, were found in large numbers in the Porcupine Seabight (Northeast Atlantic). Except for some aspects of taxonomy and distribution, as well as some data on larval development, the biology of these species is unknown. This study describes basic aspects of the life-history strategies of both species. Histological studies showed that oocyte and sperm development in both species was similar to the gametogenetic patterns observed in other deep-sea gastropods. In females, oogonia proliferated in the germinal epithelium and developed into previtellogenic oocytes (30–40 m), which grew into vitellogenic primary oocytes. Vitellogenic oocytes were covered by a thin layer of follicle cells involved in the vitellogenic processes. The maximum size for mature oocytes was 99.06 m for A. acutecostata and 114.82 m for G. subaraneosa. In A. acutecostata most of the volume of the ovary was occupied by previtellogenic and early vitellogenic oocytes, whereas in G. subaraneosa most of the volume was filled by large vitellogenic oocytes. Both species showed quasi-continuous production of oocytes. The oocyte size-frequency diagrams suggested a continuous release of a small number of oocytes throughout the year for A. acutecostata, and asynchronous periodic spawning events for G. subaraneosa. Gonad development and gametogenesis could be strongly affected by presence of parasites in one of the populations of G. subaraneosa.Communicated by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin     

Reproductive periodicity in the euryalinid snake star Astrobrachion constrictum in a New Zealand fiord

The euryalinid snake star Astrobrachion constrictum (Farquhar), a normally deep-water species, exists within SCUBA diving range in New Zealand flords, and thus presents a unique opportunity for study. A population of A. constrictum in Doubtful Sound was investigated from February 1990 to July 1994 to determine the reproductive cycle. Unlike most ophiuroids, the gonads of A. constrictum are positioned along the aboral coelom in the proximal portion of the arms. The proximal 2 to 3 cm of the arms of individuals were thus removed on an approximately monthly basis for histological examination of the gonads. Image analysis was used to determine oocyte size-frequency distributions. A gonad index was calculated for each individual based on the ratio of cross-sectional area of the gonads to cross-sectional area of the arm. Maturity indices were calculated based on stage of development of the gonads of each individual. A. constrictum has a period of enhanced breeding activity in April–June, after which both the gonad and maturity indices decline. The increase in gametogenic activity during these months was correlated with rising sea temperature within the fiord. Although the females showed an annual pattern of gonad development, oogenesis was continuous throughout the year, with oocytes at different stages of development present in the gonads. Males also showed continuous spermatogenesis and, although the same annual pattern of gonad development was evident as seen in the females, it was less marked. The presence of females with large oocytes and ripe males throughout the study indicates that breeding in the Doubtful Sound population is prolonged, and possibly continuous, as found in many deep-sea ophiuroids.     

Quantitative and ultrastructural studies on the reproductive biology of the polychaete Pholoe minuta in Galway Bay

Previous works by the present authors have identified, in a qualitative fashion, the reproductive cycle of Pholoe minuta (Fabricius) in inner Galway (53°13.5N; 9°7W). This quantitative, histological study, carried out over the period late May 1981 to late April 1982, shows that P. minuta is polytelic (two to three annual spawnings in an individual's lifespan). Individuals become sexually mature for the first time when approaching 3 yr of age. Estimates were made of the size of the reproductively active population (47 to 49%), sex ratio (1:1), duration (10 to 11 mo) and pattern (unimodal) of gametogenesis and fecundity levels (210 198 eggs m^-2). Maturation (mean oocyte size=85 m) and spawning (for 1 wk during late March through early April) were shown to be synchronised. Throughout oogenesis, follicle cells play an important role in binding together oocyte clusters, and desmosomal contacts are evident between oocyte and follicle cell plasmalemmas. No evidence for the synthesis of yolk precursors in the follicle cell cytoplasm was discovered. Oocytes are rich in Golgi apparatuses (yolk synthesising) and nuclear pores are numerous. Rough endoplasmic reticulum is distended in nature. Egg envelope development does not appear to commence until after the onset of vitellogenesis. Mature spermatozoa are of the primitive bullet-shaped type, with an unmodified acrosome. A possible method of elevation membrane formation is described.