Studies on the fine structure of the cuticle of Porcellidium, crustacea copepoda

Two species of Porcellidium have been studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy: P. viride from Banyuls-sur-mer, Mediterranian Sea and P. fimbriatum from Roscoff, English Channel. Both species live on green Algae of the genus Ulva. We confirmed previous descriptions of the cuticular ultrastructure in the main groups of Copepods. Four new characteristics however were shown to occur in the backcuticle of Porcellidium: 1. The presence of a system of highly differentiated external microvilli showing electron dense basal portions and less electron dense tips, from which thin filaments project towards a large population of Bacteria associated with the Copepod. 2. The surface of the cuticle resembles a lunar landscape with craters. The sheet of microvilli closely follows the contour of the cuticle. 3. The presence of branched cytoplasmic canals with swollen extremities (beneath the epicuticle) extending from the epidermal cells. 4. Systems of vesicles lying between the bases of the microvilli and the expansions (ampullae) at the tip of the cytoplasmic canals. The association of Bacteria with the cuticle is constant and many of these are apparently undergoing cytolysis; The system of microvilli and of cytoplasmic canals are apparently related to the presence of the bacterial microflora.