The relationship of early oocytes to putative neoblasts in the serpulid Spirorbis borealis

The fine structure of the ovary in the serpulid Spirorbis borealis has been described. The ovarian wall consists of from one to several layers of peritoneal cells. Peritoneal cell processes extend deep into the ovary and may be seen between developing oocytes. Although young oocytes may also be in close apposition to one another, intercellular bridges have not been observed. When primary oocytes at the surface of the ovary reach a diameter of about 20 μ, they start to erupt into the coelom. Ovulation results from a simple separation of overlying peritoneal cells which lack specialized cell-to-cell contacts. Once a free surface of an ovulating oocyte is exposed to the coelom, microvilli and primary coat develop. Previtellogenic coelomic oocytes are often observed in close proximity to putative neoblasts (perivasal cells), which suggests a possible functional relationship. The confusion that extists between germ cells, peritoneal cells, and so-called neoblasts in polychaetes is discussed.