Comparative Analysis of Spermatozoa Morphology in Three Fish Species from the Suborder Scorpaenoidei

Abstract

The methods of scanning and transmission electron microscopy are used for the investigation of external morphology and ultrastructure of spermatozoa in scorpaenoid fishes Parascorpaena picta, Dendrochirus zebra (Scorpaenidae), and Synanceia horrida (Synanceiidae). Based on the literature data, a comparison with other species of the genera Scorpaena, Sebastapistes, and Scorpaenopsis (Scorpaenidae) is conducted. In the studied species, the spermatozoon consists of the rounded head (its length is slightly smaller than its width), moderately developed midpiece, and flagellum. P. picta differs from the other species in the presence of the widening of the cytoplasmic channel surrounding the initial part of the flagellum, the largest numbers of mitochondrial sections, and the longest flagellum. S. horrida does not differ significantly from the representatives of the family Scorpaenidae. However, based on the contour of the head and midpiece (elliptic Fourier analysis), there is a trend to the separation of S. horrida from P. picta and D. zebra. The data on comparative spermatozoa morphology are discussed in relation to current phylogenetic schemes.