Summary
The cement gland apparatus of newly hatched Pterophyllum scalare Cuv. & Val. was examined by histology, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The whole organ is composed of three pairs of endoepithelial, ductless glands, which cause prominent elevations on the larval head and are found in a specific arrangement. Each single gland is represented by an aggregation of elongated, tubular secretory cells surrounding a pyriform acinus. It overlies a basal lamina and is covered by the outer layer of the bilaminar embryonic epidermis.
Two different types of secretory cells can be distinguished. One type is restricted to the bottom of the cavity. It is characterized by multiform cytoplasmic protrusions, which project into the gland's cavity. The secretory granules contain a network of light filamentous material. The second type constitutes the side wall of the acinus. It does not develop any protrusions. The contents of the secretory granules is of very high and homogeneous electron density. The mechanism of extrusion is discussed for both cell types. All secretory cells show a strong PAS-reaction. In SEM a circular microridge pattern with attached mucus globules can be recognized on the larval epithelial surface.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andrews, P.M.: Microplicae: Morphology, distribution, origin and possible functional significance. J. Cell Biol. 76, pp11a (1975)
Bargmann, W., Fleischhauer, K., Knoop, A.: Über die Morphologie der Milchsekretion. II. Zugleich eine Kritik am Schema der Sekretionsmorphologie. Z. Zellforsch. 53, 545–568 (1961)
Bereiter-Hahn, I.: Licht- und elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen zur Funktion von Tonofilamenten in den Epidermiszellen von FischenCytobiol. 4, 73–102 (1971)
Brinley, F., Eulberg, L.: Embryological head glands of the cichlid fish Aequidens portalegrensis. Copeia, 24–26 (1953)
Ferry, S., Marconi Stipp, A.C., Sesso, A., Correa, H.: Ultrastructure of the epidermal cells of the teleost Pimelodus maculatus L. Anat. Anz. 141, 345–363 (1977)
Gaudecker, B v.: Der Strukturwandel der larvalen Speicheldrüse von Drosophila melanogaster. Ein Beitrag zur Frage nach der steuernden Wirkung aktiver Gene auf das Zytoplasma. Z. Zellforsch. 127, 50–86 (1972)
Hawkes, J.W.: The structure of fish skin. Cell Tiss. Res. 149, 147–158 (1974)
Ilg, L.: Über larvale Haftorgane bei Teleosteern. Zool. Jb. (Anat.) 72, 577–600 (1952)
Jones, S.: Observations on the breeding habits and development of certain brackish water fishes of Adyar, Madras. Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. (B) 5, 261–273 (1937a)
Jones, S.: On the origin and development of the cement glands in Etroplus maculatus (Bloch). Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. (B) 6, 251–261 (1937b)
Kurosumi, K., Kawabata, I.: Transmission and scanning electron microscopy of the human ceruminous apocrine gland. I. Secretory glandular cells. Arch. histol. jap. 39, 207–229 (1976)
Kurosumi, K., Kobayashi, Y., Baba, N.: The fine structure of mammary glands of lactating rats, with special reference to the apocrine secretion. Exp. Cell Res. 50, 177–192 (1968)
Lieberkind, I.: Über die Haftorgane bei Jungen von Pterophyllum eimekei Ahl. Zool. Anz. 97, 55–61 (1931)
Lieberkind, I.: Vergleichende Studien über die Morphologie und Histogenese der larvalen Haftorgane bei den Amphibien. Kopenhagen: Reitzels Verlag 1937
Mönnig, W.: Pterophyllum eimekei Ahl. Beobachtungen bei der embryonalen Entwicklung. Dtsch. Aquar. Terr. Z. 1, 32–34 (1948)
Peters, H.M.: Fortpflanzungsbiologische und tiersoziologische Studien an Fischen. I. Hemichromis bimaculatus. Z. Morph. Ökol. Tiere 37, 3 (1941)
Peters, H.M.: Über larvale Haftorgane bei Tilapia (Cichlidae, Teleostei) und Rückbildung in der Evolution. Zool. Jb. (Physiol.) 71, 287–300 (1965)
Picard, J.J.: Ultrastructure of the cement gland of Xenopus laevis. J. Morph. 148, 193–208 (1976)
Sotelo, C.: Ultrastructural aspects of the cerebellar cortex of the frog. In: Neurobiology of cerebellar evolution and development (R. Llinas, ed.), pp. 327–371. Chicago: Amer. Med. Assoc., Education and Research Foundation 1969
Sperry, D.G., Wassersug, R.J.: A proposed function for microridges on epithelial cells. Anat. Rec. 185, 253–258 (1976)
Tillmann, B., Pietzsch-Rohrschneider, I., Huenges, H.L.: The human vocal cord surface. Cell Tiss. Res. 185, 279–283 (1977)
Wellings, S.R., Chuinard, R.G., Cooper, R.A.: Ultrastructural studies of normal skin and epidermal papillomas of the flathead sole Hippoglossoides elassodon. Z. Zellforsch. 78, 370–387 (1967)
Wickler, W.: Ei und Larve von Symphysodon discus Heckel. Dtsch. Aquar. Terr. Z. 10, 7–12 (1957)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Prof. Dr. H. Leonhardt on the occasion of his 60th birthday
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bennemann, R., Pietzsch-Rohrschneider, I. The morphology of the cement gland apparatus of Larval Pterophyllum scalare Cuv. & Val. (Cichlidae, Teleostei). Cell Tissue Res. 193, 491–501 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00225346
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00225346