Summary
The aesthetascs of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, are hair sensilla located on the lateral filaments of the antennules. Each hair is about 0.8 mm long and innervated by about 320 bipolar sensory neurons, the dendrites of which project as a bundle into the hair shaft. Each of the dendrites develops two cilia. Within a very short distance each of these cilia branches repetitively and dichotomously resulting in 8000 to 10000 outer dendritic segments per hair, or about 20 to 30 branches per neuron. The branches intertwine frequently before running to the tip of the hair. Each hair also possesses inner and outer auxiliary cells. The inner auxiliary cells surround the bundle of dendrites, extending distally to the origin of the ciliary segments. Extensions of these cells project into the bundle of dendrites, separating groups of dendrites into discrete clusters. Outer auxiliary cells wrap the inner ones, but do not extend beyond the base of the hair.
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Grünert, U., Ache, B.W. Ultrastructure of the aesthetasc (olfactory) sensilla of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus . Cell Tissue Res. 251, 95–103 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00215452
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00215452