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Spermatozoa Morphology of Goatfishes (Mullidae): Upeneus sulphureus

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Abstract—

Spermatozoa morphology of sulphur goatfish Upeneus sulphureus is studied by the methods of scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The shapes of spermatozoon heads are compared in U. sulphureus, U. tragula, U. margarethae, and Parupeneus multifasciatus. The U. sulphureus spermatozoon is characterized by the oval head flattened on a side, a nucleus with a deep U-shaped fossa, coaxially located centrioles, and two mitochondrial sections in the midpiece. On the flattened side of the head, its apical end is slightly pointed and bent. Based on the spermatozoon head shape, U. tragula and U. margarethae differ from all representatives of the family Mullidae with described sperm morphology in strongly bent and pointed apical end of the spermatozoon head and a single mitochondrial section in the midpiece. The data on comparative spermatozoa morphology are discussed in connection with current phylogenetic schemes.

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Notes

  1. The species U. margarethae was described for the first time from the western Indian Ocean (Uiblein and Heemstra, 2010). A wide distribution of the representatives of this (or similar species) in the coastal waters of Vietnam was reported (Emel’yanova and Pavlov, 2014; Pavlov and Emel’yanova, 2016). These individuals were preliminary called U. cf margarethae or U. margarethae. The latter species name is used in this study. However, the individuals distributed from southern Indonesia to Singapore, Gulf of Thailand, Vietnam, central Philippines, southern China, Taiwan, and southern Japan were recently separated in the new species U. heterospinus n. sp. Uiblein & Pavlov (Uiblein et al., 2019).

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Vo Thi Ha and Dinh Thi Hai Yen (Coastal Department of the Russian–Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, RVTRTC) for help in collection of the material.

Funding

The study was carried out with financial support from the RVTRTC (Nha Trang, Vietnam).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, 119899, Moscow, Russia

    N. G. Emel’yanova & D. A. Pavlov

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  1. N. G. Emel’yanova
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Correspondence to N. G. Emel’yanova.

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Conflict of interest. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Statement on the welfare of animals. All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Translated by D. Pavlov

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Emel’yanova, N.G., Pavlov, D.A. Spermatozoa Morphology of Goatfishes (Mullidae): Upeneus sulphureus. J. Ichthyol. 60, 71–78 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945220010038

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