Histologic Examination of a Sea Pig (<i>Scotoplanes</i> sp.) Using Bright Field Light Microscopy
Sea pigs (<i>Scotoplanes</i> spp.) are deep-sea dwelling sea cucumbers of the phylum Echinodermata, class Holothuroidea, and order Elasipodida. Few reports are available on the microscopic anatomy of these deep-sea animals. This study describes the histologic findings of two, wild, male...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/9/8/848 |
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| author | Elise E. B. LaDouceur Linda A. Kuhnz Christina Biggs Alicia Bitondo Megan Olhasso Katherine L. Scott Michael Murray |
| author_facet | Elise E. B. LaDouceur Linda A. Kuhnz Christina Biggs Alicia Bitondo Megan Olhasso Katherine L. Scott Michael Murray |
| author_sort | Elise E. B. LaDouceur |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sea pigs (<i>Scotoplanes</i> spp.) are deep-sea dwelling sea cucumbers of the phylum Echinodermata, class Holothuroidea, and order Elasipodida. Few reports are available on the microscopic anatomy of these deep-sea animals. This study describes the histologic findings of two, wild, male and female <i>Scotoplanes</i> sp. collected from Monterey Bay, California. Microscopic findings were similar to other holothuroids, with a few notable exceptions. Sea pigs were bilaterally symmetrical with six pairs of greatly enlarged tube feet arising from the lateral body wall and oriented ventrally for walking. Neither a rete mirabile nor respiratory tree was identified, and the large tube feet may function in respiration. Dorsal papillae protrude from the bivium and are histologically similar to tube feet with a large, muscular water vascular canal in the center. There were 10 buccal tentacles, the epidermis of which was highly folded. Only a single gonad was present in each animal; both male and female had histologic evidence of active gametogenesis. In the male, a presumed protozoal cyst was identified in the aboral intestinal mucosa, and was histologically similar to previous reports of coccidians. This work provides control histology for future investigations of sea pigs and related animals using bright field microscopy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:42:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f853a4bd7f9b47ada288b90dd6b934cb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:42:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-f853a4bd7f9b47ada288b90dd6b934cb2023-11-22T08:15:13ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122021-08-019884810.3390/jmse9080848Histologic Examination of a Sea Pig (<i>Scotoplanes</i> sp.) Using Bright Field Light MicroscopyElise E. B. LaDouceur0Linda A. Kuhnz1Christina Biggs2Alicia Bitondo3Megan Olhasso4Katherine L. Scott5Michael Murray6Joint Pathology Center, 606 Stephen Sitter Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USAMonterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Rd, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USAMonterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Roy, Monterey, CA 93940, USAMonterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Roy, Monterey, CA 93940, USAMonterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Roy, Monterey, CA 93940, USAJoint Pathology Center, 606 Stephen Sitter Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USAMonterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Roy, Monterey, CA 93940, USASea pigs (<i>Scotoplanes</i> spp.) are deep-sea dwelling sea cucumbers of the phylum Echinodermata, class Holothuroidea, and order Elasipodida. Few reports are available on the microscopic anatomy of these deep-sea animals. This study describes the histologic findings of two, wild, male and female <i>Scotoplanes</i> sp. collected from Monterey Bay, California. Microscopic findings were similar to other holothuroids, with a few notable exceptions. Sea pigs were bilaterally symmetrical with six pairs of greatly enlarged tube feet arising from the lateral body wall and oriented ventrally for walking. Neither a rete mirabile nor respiratory tree was identified, and the large tube feet may function in respiration. Dorsal papillae protrude from the bivium and are histologically similar to tube feet with a large, muscular water vascular canal in the center. There were 10 buccal tentacles, the epidermis of which was highly folded. Only a single gonad was present in each animal; both male and female had histologic evidence of active gametogenesis. In the male, a presumed protozoal cyst was identified in the aboral intestinal mucosa, and was histologically similar to previous reports of coccidians. This work provides control histology for future investigations of sea pigs and related animals using bright field microscopy.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/9/8/848holothuroideadeep seaelasipodidaanatomymorphologysea cucumbers |
| spellingShingle | Elise E. B. LaDouceur Linda A. Kuhnz Christina Biggs Alicia Bitondo Megan Olhasso Katherine L. Scott Michael Murray Histologic Examination of a Sea Pig (<i>Scotoplanes</i> sp.) Using Bright Field Light Microscopy Journal of Marine Science and Engineering holothuroidea deep sea elasipodida anatomy morphology sea cucumbers |
| title | Histologic Examination of a Sea Pig (<i>Scotoplanes</i> sp.) Using Bright Field Light Microscopy |
| title_full | Histologic Examination of a Sea Pig (<i>Scotoplanes</i> sp.) Using Bright Field Light Microscopy |
| title_fullStr | Histologic Examination of a Sea Pig (<i>Scotoplanes</i> sp.) Using Bright Field Light Microscopy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Histologic Examination of a Sea Pig (<i>Scotoplanes</i> sp.) Using Bright Field Light Microscopy |
| title_short | Histologic Examination of a Sea Pig (<i>Scotoplanes</i> sp.) Using Bright Field Light Microscopy |
| title_sort | histologic examination of a sea pig i scotoplanes i sp using bright field light microscopy |
| topic | holothuroidea deep sea elasipodida anatomy morphology sea cucumbers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/9/8/848 |
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