Summary
Embedded in the brain of Armandia brevis are three prostomial ocelli, each composed of two cells. The pigment cell, surrounds a photoreceptor, and forms a pigmented cup and a transparent unpigmented diaphragm. The terminal part of the photoreceptor lies within a receptoral cavity. Its surface is elaborated into folds containing tubular infoldings.
The brain of Armandia contains, in addition to ocelli, photoreceptor-like cells partially enclosed by unpigmented epithelioid cells.
The prostomial ocelli of Armandia closely resemble the ocelli in the dorsal nerve cord of the protochordate Amphioxus (Eakin and Westfall, 1962). It is suggested that the similarity is the result of evolutionary convergence. The prostomial ocelli of Armandia and nereid polychaetes (Eakin and Westfall, 1964) have similarities suggesting homology.
Similar content being viewed by others
Bibliography
Barrington, E.J.W.: The biology of hemichordata and protochordata. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd 1965.
Berkeley, E., and C. Berkeley: On a collection of polychaeta from Southern California. Bull. Sth. Calif. Acad. Sci.. 40, 16–60 (1941).
Dhainaut-Courtois, N.: Sur la présence d'un organe photorecepteur dans le cerveau de Nereis pelagica L. (Annélide polychète). C. R. Acad. Sci.. (Paris) 261, 1085–1088 (1965).
Eakin, R. M.: Lines of evolution of photoreceptors. J. gen. Physiol. 46, 359 A-360 A (1962).
: Lines of evolution of photoreceptors. In: General physiology of cell specialization. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co. 1963.
, and J. A. Westfall: Fine structure of photoreceptors in amphioxus. J. Ultrastruc. Res. 6, 531–539 (1962).
: Further observations on the fine structure of some invertebrate eyes. Z. Zellforsch. 62, 310–332 (1964).
Fischer, A.: Über den Bau und die hell-dunkel-Adaptation der Augen des Polychäten Platynereis dumerilii. Z. Zellforsch. 61, 338–353 (1963).
Hama, K.: The fine structure of the desmosomes in frog mesothelium. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 7, 375–378 (1960).
Hartmann, O.: Descriptions of new species and new generic records of polychaetous annelids from California of the families glyceridae, eunicidae, stauronereidae and opheliidae. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 43, 93–112 (1938).
Hartmann-Schröder, G.: Zur Morphologie der Opheliiden (Polychaeta). Z. wiss. Zool. 161, 84–143 (1958).
Hermans, C. O.: The reproductive and developmental biology of the opheliid polychaete, Armandia brevis (Moore). M. S. Thesis, Univ. of Wash., Seattle, 1964, 131 p.
Hesse, R.: Untersuchungen über die Organe der Lichtempfindung bei niederen Thieren. IV. Die Sehorgane des Amphioxus. Z. wiss. Zool. 63, 456–464 (1898).
: Untersuchungen über die Organe der Lichtempfindung bei niederen Thieren. V. Die Augen der polychaeten Anneliden. Z. wiss. Zool. 65, 446–516 (1899).
: Untersuchungen über die Organe der Lichtempfindung bei niederen Thieren. VIII. Weitere Tatsachen, Allgemeines. Z. wiss. Zool. 72, 565–656 (1902).
Hyman, L. H.: The invertebrates: platyhelminthes and rhynchocoela, Vol. II. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co. 1951.
Ito, S., and R. J. Winchester: The fine structure of the gastric mucosa in the bat. J. Cell Biol. 16, 541–577 (1963).
Lawrence, P. A., and F. B. Krasne: Annelid ciliary photoreceptors. Science 148, 965–966 (1965).
Luft, J. H.: Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 9, 409–14 (1961).
Meyer, E.: Zur Anatomie und Histologie von Polyophthalmus pictus Clap. Arch. mikr. Anat. 21, 769–825 (1882).
Millonig, G.: A modified procedure for lead staining of thin sections. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 11, 736–739 (1961).
Moore, J. P.: Description of two new polychaeta from Alaska. Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad. 58, 352–355 (1906).
Odland, G. F.: The fine structure of the interrelationship of cells in the human epidermis. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 4, 529–538 (1958).
Pflugfelder, O.: Über den feineren Bau der Augen freilebender Polychäten. Z. wiss. Zool. 142, 540–586 (1932).
Quatrefages, A.: Études sur les types inférieurs de l'embranchement des Annélés. Mémoire sur la famille des polyophthalmiens (Polyophthalmea nob.). Annls. Sci. nat., Sér. III, 13, 1–24 (1850).
Richardson, K. C., L. Jarett, and E. H. Finke: Embedding in epoxy resins for ultrathin sectioning in electron microscopy. Stain Technol. 35, 313 (1960).
Willey, A.: Zoological observations in the South Pacific. Quart. J. micr. Sci. 39, 219–231 (1896).
: Report on the polychaeta collected by Professor Herdman, at Ceylon, in 1902. Ceylon Pearl Oyster Fisheries Suppl. Report, pt. 4, 243–324 (1905).
Wood, R. L.: Intercellular attachment in the epithelium of Hydra as revealed by electron microscopy. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 6, 343–352 (1959).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The authors wish to thank Drs. Patricia L. Dudley and Richard M. Eakin for critically reading the manuscript. This investigation was supported, in part, by a Public Health Services fellowship, number 5-Fl-GM-20, 637, from the National Institute of General Medical Science.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hermans, C.O., Cloney, R.A. Fine structure of the prostomial eyes of Armandia brevis (Polychaeta: Opheliidae). Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 72, 583–596 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319262
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319262