Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, Vol s2-75, 543-556, Copyright © 1932 by Company of Biologists

Memoirs: The Spermatid and the Sperm of the Crab, Paratelphusa spinigera

¹ Department of Zoology, Government College, University of the Punjab, Lahore, India

The most important conclusion of this investigation is that the crab spermatozoon, in spite of its fantastic form, is with respect to its components exactly like a typical sperm. It possesses a cup-shaped nucleus with the margin of which the ring-like acrosome is fused. The mitochondria-like mass of Koltzoff, Binford, and Fasten are the fused Golgi elements destined to form the acrosome. The cavity of the cup is completely filled by the mitochondria, vesicle, corresponding to the ‘primary vesicle’ of Fasten. The mouth of the cup is very efficiently plugged by the ring-like, distal centrosome which is identical with Fasten's ‘chromatin ring’. At the bottom of the mitochondrial nebenkern lies the vesicular, proximal centrosome answering to the description of the ‘secondary vesicle’ of Fasten. Between the two centrosomes runs a thick axial filament (Fasten's central body).

Evidence has been produced that at the time of fertilization the unusual form of the sperm changes into that of a typical one.

In the primary spermatocytes of Paratelphusa spinigera there are no ‘chromatoid bodies’ as described by Fasten in similar cells of Cancer. On the other hand, both in the spermatocyte and the spermatogonium of Paratelphusa, there is the typical Golgi-idiosome complex.