ИСТИНА

Among a large variety of amphipods there are some families, whose representatives have capability to build different dwellings: tubes or masts. For dwelling’s construction these amphipods use so-called “amphipod silk”, produced by special glands, located in 3 and 4 pairs of pereopods. Although these glands are known for a long time, their structure and functional morphology, are poorly known. In addition, organization of the silk glands may vary in different amphipod species. We have studied histology and ultrastructure of amphipod silk glands in Dyopedos bispinis (Gurjanova, 1930) and Ampithoe rubricata (Montagu, 1818) with the help of light and transmission electron microscopy. In both cases, pereopods contain two gland groups, differ in producible secret. Each gland consists of one canal cell and several secretory cells. Secretory cells are mononuclear, they lay along the canal cell. Inside the canal cell there is a complicate system of drainage. Lateral canals originating from the every glandular cells one after another fall into main one. Main ducts from each gland lead to common reservoir in the dactylus. The dactilus has a pore on the tip. Connective tissue cells cover the gland. In D. bispinis their processes are situated between other gland cells and jut out into secretory cells. “Silk” glands in some other amphipod species have the similar structure. However, canal cells have not been described until now, and the glands erroneously were characterized as unicellular. Structural plan of the glands is unusual, and it has no analogues among other crustacean glands.