. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. 306 M. S. NOWEL ET AL. Figure 35. Light micrograph of an oblique section through a group of maxilliped photophores in Oplophorus spinosus, which shows the appearance of the photophores at different levels of section, c. paracrys- talline bodies: ca, clear area; en. "window" epidermal nuclei: p. carot- enoid pigment cell processes: pn, photocyte nuclei: r. reflecting pigment cell processes. Scale bar: 40 fjm. Dennett (1940) described a fibrous reflector in the pleo- pod photophores of O. spinosiis; using electron mi
. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. 306 M. S. NOWEL ET AL. Figure 35. Light micrograph of an oblique section through a group of maxilliped photophores in Oplophorus spinosus, which shows the appearance of the photophores at different levels of section, c. paracrys- talline bodies: ca, clear area; en. "window" epidermal nuclei: p. carot- enoid pigment cell processes: pn, photocyte nuclei: r. reflecting pigment cell processes. Scale bar: 40 fjm. Dennett (1940) described a fibrous reflector in the pleo- pod photophores of O. spinosiis; using electron micros- copy, we have found this to be a ligament with associated cell processes of carotenoid pigment cells. He identified the actual reflector as the "striated ; Nevertheless, Dennell's detailed histological and morphological ac- count is immensely thorough and. if correctly relabeled, provides an invaluable comparative survey. One unexpected feature of our study of the pleopod photophore is the apparent absence of any identifiable epidermal cells between the photocytes and the lens cuti- cle, though these are clearly visible as "window" epider- mis in the maxilliped photophores. We can only assume that in the pleopod photophores the cuticle is secreted by the photocytes at each molt. The window epidermis structures (small vesicles and few mitochondria) seen also in the basal cytoplasm of the pleopod photocytes suggest that they have a similar function, either in the optics of the photophore or in the secretion of the cuticle. Another surprising feature is the absence of any identifiable direct neural connections to the photophores. Any nerves we have seen have been associated with the muscles. This suggests that light emission is controlled by some indirect mechanism. One possibility is that the circulatory system is involved, as is the case in euphausiids where sphincters control the blood supply to each photophore (Herring and Locket. 1978). Euphaus
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