Abstract
The current study describes the ultrastructural characteristics of spermatogenesis, spermiogenesis, and spermatozoa in specimens of siluriform taxa Neoplecostominae, Hypoptopomatinae, Otothyrinae, Loricariinae, and Hypostominae. Our data show that the characteristics of spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis and spermatozoa ultrastructure of Neoplecostominae are more common to Hypoptopomatinae and Otothyrinae than to Loricariinae and Hypostominae. Furthermore, Loricariinae and Hypostominae have more characteristics in common than with any other group of Loricariidae. These data reinforce the phylogenetic hypotheses of relationships among the subfamilies of Loricariidae. Considering the available data in Loricarioidei, Loricariidae presents ultrastructural characteristics of spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis that are also observed in Astroblepidae, its sister group. However, the most of the characteristics of spermatozoa ultrastructure found in Astroblepidae are also observed in Scoloplacidae, the sister group of a clade composed of Astroblepidae and Loricariidae.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armbruster JW (2004) Phylogenetic relationships of the suckermouth armoured catfishes (Loricariidae) with emphasis on the Hypostominae and the Ancistrinae. Zool J Linnean Soc 141:1–80
Burns JR, Quagio-Grassiotto I, Jamieson BGM (2009) Ultrastructure of spermatozoa: Ostariophysi. In: Jamieson BGM (ed) Reproductive biology and phylogeny of fishes (agnathans and bony fishes), part A. Science Publishers, Enfield, pp 287–388
Chiachio MC, Oliveira C, Montoya-Burgos JI (2008) Molecular systematic and historical biogeography of the armored Neotropical catfishes Hypoptopomatinae and Neoplecostominae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 49:606–617
Cramer CA, Bonatto SL, Reis RE (2011) Molecular phylogeny of the Neoplecostominae and Hypoptopomatinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) using multiple genes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 59:43–52
de Pinna MCC (1998) Phylogenetic relationship of neotropical Siluriformes (Teleostei: Ostariophysi): historical overviews and synthesis of hypotheses. In: Malabarba LR, Reis RE, Vari RP, Lucena ZMS, Lucena CAS (eds) Phylogeny and classification of neotropical fishes. Porto Alegre, Edipucrs, pp 279–330
Mattei X (1970) Spermiogenése comparé des poisson. In: Baccetti B (ed) Comparative spermatology. Academic Press, New York, pp 57–72
Mattei X (1993) Peculiarities in the organization of testis of Ophidion sp. (Pisces: Teleostei). Evidence for two types of spermatogenesis in teleost fish. J Fish Biol 43:931–937
Quagio-Grassiotto I, Oliveira C (2008) Sperm ultrastructure and a new type of spermiogenesis in two species of Pimelodidae with a comparative review of sperm ultrastructure in Siluriformes (Teleostei: Ostariophysi). Zool Anzeiger 247:55–66
Quagio-Grassiotto I, Spadella MA, Carvalho M, Oliveira C (2005) Comparative description and discussion of spermiogenesis and spermatozoal ultrastructure in some species of Heptapteridae and Pseudopimelodidae (Telesotei: Siluriformes). Neotropical Ichthyol 3(3):403–412
Reis RE, Pereira EHL, Armbruster JW (2006) Delturinae, a new loricariid catfish subfamily (Teleostei, Siluriformes), with revisions of Delturus and Hemipsilichthys. Zool J Linnean Soc 147:277–299
Spadella MA, Oliveira C, Quagio-Grassiotto I (2006a) Occurrence of biflagellate spermatozoa in the Siluriformes families Cetopsidae, Aspredinidae, and Nematogenyidae (Teleostei: Ostariophysi). Zoomorphology 125:108–118
Spadella MA, Oliveira C, Quagio-Grassiotto I (2006b) Spermiogenesis and introsperm ultrastructure of Scoloplax distolothrix (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes: Scoloplacidae). Acta Zool 87:341–348
Spadella MA, Oliveira C, Quagio-Grassiotto I (2007) Comparative analysis of the spermiogenesis and sperm ultrastructure in Callichthyidae (Teleostei: Ostariophysi: Siluriformes). Neotropical Ichthyol 5(3):337–350
Spadella MA, Oliveira C, Quagio-Grassiotto I (2010) Analysis of the spermiogenesis and spermatozoal ultrastructure in Trichomycteridae (Teleostei: Ostariophysi: Siluriformes). Acta Zool 91(4):373–389
Spadella MA, Oliveira C, Ortega H, Quagio-Grassiotto I, Burns JR (2012) Male and female reproductive morphology in the inseminating genus Astroblepus (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes: Astroblepidae). Zool Anzeiger 251:38–48
Sullivan JP, Lundberg JG, Hardman M (2006) A phylogenetic analysis of the major groups of catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes) using rag1 and rag2 nuclear gene sequences. Mol Phylogenet Evol 40:636–662
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank E.R. Miguel, M.C.C. de Pinna, M.C. Chiachio, O.A. Shibata, E.R.M. Martinez, G. França, R. Devidé, K.T. Abe, for their help during collection expeditions; H.A. Britiski and O.T. Oyakawa for taxonomic identification of the species; and the E.M. Laboratory of IBB-UNESP for allowing the use of their facilities. This research was supported by the Brazilian agencies FAPESP (Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by T. Bartolomaeus.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Spadella, M.A., Oliveira, C. & Quagio-Grassiotto, I. Spermiogenesis and sperm ultrastructure in ten species of Loricariidae (Siluriformes, Teleostei). Zoomorphology 131, 249–263 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-012-0153-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-012-0153-4