The fine structure of granular amoebocytes from the gonads of the sea anemoneActinia fragacea (Cnidaria: Anthozoa)

Summary

The structure of granular amoebocytes of the intertidal sea anemoneActinia fragacea (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) has been investigated using the electron microscope. Cells from the gonads of large, intact individuals were studied in most detail, but other regions of the anemone were also examined. The amoebocytes are cells of variable appearance which are widely distributed both in the mesogloea and in the epithelial cell layers. They contain numbers of characteristic dense granules, which may enclose spherical cores of greater or lesser electron density. They also contain rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and a range of inclusions, some of which may have lysosomal origins. They may contain extensive deposits of glycogen, and usually smaller quantities of lipid droplets. They may take on a variety of forms, depending partly on their location within the various types of mesogloea and epithelia. The amoebocytes appear to be motile and phagocytic, and may also be involved in the storage and transport of glycogen. They are involved with gametogenesis, both during the development of the oocytes and spermatogenic cysts and during the resorption of degenerating gametes. Their possible role in the secretion or maintenance of the mesogloea remains uncertain. No evidence of amoebocytes differentiating into other cell types was obtained.