Ultrastructural observations on changes in cell shape in chromatophores of the sea urchin Centrostephanus longispinus

Alterations in cell shape of the light-sensitive chromatophores of the sea urchin Centrostephanus longispinus were studied by scanning- and transmission electron microscopy. Transition of the aggregated to the dispersed state is accompanied by incorporation of vesicles into the membrane of the pigment cell. During disperson a system of microtubules originating from centriole-like structures is established throughout the stellate cell. Within restricted areas of the cell, cytoplasmic differentiation and condensation is found. The possible functional significance of the findings is briefly discussed.