Abstract
Class Seisonidea consists of one marine genus, Seison, with two species (S. nebaliae and S. annulatus) which are epizoic on the crustacean Nebalia. Seisonidea are the only rotifers whose reproduction is strictly bisexual. They also possess the unusual feature of having well-developed males. In this paper we review the literature concerning biogeographical distribution, relationships with their host, and morphology, and present new information obtained with SEM and optical microscopy of both living animals and serial sections.
Some seisonid characters, such as the paired retrocerebral organ, nervous system, and trophi, suggest that they hold a primitive position within phylum Rotifera. However, they do share features with other rotifers: paired gonads and an unusual locomotory behavior with Bdelloidea; lateral antennae, cellular stomach wall, arrangement of intracytoplasmic lamina, and other characters with Monogononta. Some features are peculiar to Seison: obligatory amphimixis, endolecythal eggs, encysted spermatozoa, unique mastax, and absence of copulatory organ in males and of vitellaria in females. Reduction of the corona and absence of resistant stages in Seisonidea may be related to their habitat and to their life style. We propose a closer relationship of Seisonidea to Monogononta than previously asserted.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alberti, G., 1990. Comparative spermatology of Araneae. Acta zool. fenn. 190: 17–34.
Amsellem, J. & C. Ricci, 1982. Fine structure of the female genital apparatus in Philodina roseola (Rotifera, Bdelloidea). Zoomorphology 100: 89–105.
Bentfeld, M. E., 1971. Studies of oogenesis in the rotifer Asplanchna. I. Fine structure of the female reproductive system. Z. Zellforsch. 115: 165–183.
Claus, C., 1876. Uber die organisation und systematische stellung der gattung Seison Gr.. Festschrift zur feier des Funfundzwanzigjahrigen Bestehens der K.K. Zoologisch-Botanische Gesellschaft In Wien, Wien: 77–88.
Claus, C., 1880. Zur Kenntnis der Organisation von Seison. Zool. Anz. 68: 548–550.
Clément, P., 1980. Phylogenetic relationships of rotifers, as derived from photoreceptor morphology and other ultrastructural analysis. In H. J. Dumont & J. Green (eds), Rotatoria. Developments in Hydrobiology I. Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague: 93–117. Reprinted from Hydrobiologia 73.
de Beauchamp, P. M., 1909. Recherches sur les Rotiferes. These, Ed. des Archives de Zoologie Experimentale, Paris: 1–410.
d'Hondt, J. L., 1970. Inventaire de la Faune Marine de Roscoff — Gastrotriches, Kinorhynques, Rotiferes, Tardigrades. Ed. de la Station Biologique de Roscoff: 1–29.
Epp, R. W. & W. M. Lewis, 1979. Sexual dimorphism in Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifera): evolutionary and adaptive significance. Evolution 33: 919–928.
Gilbert, J. J., 1983a. Rotifera. In K. G. Adiyodi & R. G. Adiyodi (eds), Reproductive Biology of Invertebrates. Vol. I: Oogenesis, Oviposition and Oosorption. John Wiley & Sons: 181–209.
Gilbert, J. J., 1983b. Rotifera. In K. G. Adiyodi & R. G. Adiyodi (eds), Reproductive Biology of Invertebrates. Vol. II: Spermatogenesis and Sperm Function. John Wiley & Sons: 181–193.
Gilbert, J. J., 1988. Rotifera. In K. G. Adiyodi & R. G. Adiyodi (eds), Reproductive Biology of Invertebrates. Vol. III: Accessory Sex Glands. John Wiley & Sons: 73–80.
Gilbert, J. J., 1989. Rotifera. In K. G. Adiyodi & R.G. Adiyodi (eds), Reproductive Biology of Invertebrates. Vol. IV A: Fertilization, Development and Parental Care. John Wiley & Sons: 179–199.
Grube, A. E., 1861. Ein ausflug nach Triest und dem Quarnero. Berlin: 109–115.
Illgen, H., 1914. Zur Kenntnis der Spermatogenese und Biologie bei Seison grubei Claus. Zool. Anz. 44: 550–554.
Illgen, H., 1916. Zur Kenntnis der Biologie und Anatomie der parasitischen Rotatorien familie der Seisoniden. Zool. Anz. 47: 1–9.
Koste, W., 1975. Das Radertier-Portrat, Seison annulatus, ein Ektoparasit des marinen Krebses Nebalia. Mikrokosmos 64: 341–347.
Kutikova, L. A., 1983. Parallelism in the evolution of rotifers. In B. Pejler, R. Starkweather & Th. Nogrady (eds), Biology of Rotifers. Developments in Hydrobiology 14. Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague: 3–7. Reprinted from Hydrobiologia 104.
Leung Y. M. & J. L. Mohr, 1969. On the Chonotrich ciliates, the Rotifer Seison and other animals living on Nebalia in far southern waters. In: Symposium on Antarctic Oceanography, Santiago-Chile, 1966, W. Heffer and Sons, Cambridge (England): 72–73.
Marion, A. F., 1872. Rotateurs parasites des Nebalies. C. r. hebd. Seanc. Acad. Sci. (Paris), 1: 1115–1116.
Markevich G. I. & L. A. Kutikova, 1989. Mastax morphology under SEM and its usefulness in reconstructing rotifer phylogeny & systematics. In C. Ricci, T. W. Snell & C. E. King (eds), Rotifer Symposium V. Developments in Hydrobiology 52. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht: 285–289. Reprinted from Hydrobiologia 186/187.
Menzies R. J. & J. L. Mohr, 1952. The occurrence of the Wood-boring Crustacean Limnoria and of Nebaliacea in Morro Bay, California. Wasmann J. Biol. 10: 81–86.
Plate, L., 1887. Uber einige ectoparasitische Rotatorien des Golfes von Neapel. Mitth. aus der Zool. St. zu Neapel, VII, 2: 234–263.
Plate, L., 1888. On some Ectoparasitic Rotatoria of the Bay of Naples. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., London, ser. 6, 2: 86–112.
Remane, A., 1929. Rotatoria. In: Tierwelt der Nord- und Ostsee, VII, e: 1–156.
Remane, A., 1929–1933. Rotatoria. In: Bronn's Klassen und Ordnungen des Tier-Reichs, 4, 2, 1: 1–576.
Wallace, R. L. & R. A. Colburn. 1989. Phylogenetic relationships within phylum Rotifera: orders and genus Notholca. In C. Ricci, T. W. Snell & C. E. King (eds), Rotifer Symposium V. Developments in Hydrobiology 52. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht: 311–318. Reprinted from Hydrobiologia 186/187.
Wesenberg-Lund, C., 1923. Contribution to the biology of the Rotifera. I. The males of the Rotifera. Konigl. Danske Vidensk. Selsk. Skrift. Naturvid. Afd., Raekke 8, 4: 191–345.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ricci, C., Melone, G. & Sotgia, C. Old and new data on Seisonidea (Rotifera). Hydrobiologia 255, 495–511 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025879
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025879