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Locomotion and fine structure of parapodia in Myzostoma cirriferum (Myzostomida)

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Abstract

Most myzostomids are ectocommensals of crinoids on which they move freely. Their locomotion is ensured by five pairs of parapodia located laterally below their trunk. Each parapodium in Myzostoma cirriferum is a conical structure that includes a hook-like chaeta, replacement chaetae and an aciculum. Structure and ultrastructure of the myzostomid chaetae are similar to those of polychaetes: they are formed by a chaetoblast, which gives rise to microvilli where chaetal material is assembled on the outer surface. Myzostoma cirriferum walks on its host. It moves the anterior part, the posterior part or the lateral parts forwards but is able to rotate of 180° on itself. Its locomotion entirely depends on parapodial motions and not on trunk movements. Three pairs of muscles are involved in parapodial motions: parapodium flexor and parapodium extensor, aciculum protractor and aciculum retractor, and hook protractor with conjunctor. A functional model is proposed for explaining the global motion of a parapodium in M. cirriferum that may be extended to all ectocommensal myzostomids.

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Acknowledgments

C. Bleidorn was financially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in the priority program SPP 1174 “Deep Metazoan Phylogeny” (TI 349/4-1). Deborah Lanterbecq is supported by the “Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS)”. The researches were supported by FRFC contract no 2.4.567.04.F

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Biology Laboratory, Natural Sciences Building, University of Mons-Hainaut, 7000, Mons, Belgium

    D. Lanterbecq, S. Michel & I. Eeckhaut

  2. Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, Haus 26, D-14476, Golm, Germany

    C. Bleidorn

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  1. D. Lanterbecq
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  2. C. Bleidorn
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  3. S. Michel
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  4. I. Eeckhaut
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Correspondence to I. Eeckhaut.

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Lanterbecq, D., Bleidorn, C., Michel, S. et al. Locomotion and fine structure of parapodia in Myzostoma cirriferum (Myzostomida). Zoomorphology 127, 59–68 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-007-0052-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-007-0052-2

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