Ultrastructure of spermatozoa of the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L. observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy

The present study on wild caught Atlantic cod Gadus morhua provides a detailed description of the spermatozoa ultrastructure. The spermatozoa of G. morhua are composed of a head (nucleus) with no acrosome, a midpiece and a single flagellum. The total length is 67.69 ± 6.33 μm with a lanceolate sperm head that is 2.34 ± 0.26 μm long and 1.32 ± 0.26 μm wide. The nucleus presents homogeneous condensation of chromatin with few lacunae of decondensed chromatin. The nuclear fossa penetrates over three third of the nuclear axis and is tubiform. The axoneme is composed of a typical 9 + 2 microtubular doublet structure and is enclosed by the plasma membrane. Central microtubules are absent from the proximal portion of the anterior end of nuclear notch and a distal centriole complex is perpendicular to the axoneme. A group of mitochondria and vesicles is present in the midpiece. The ultrastructure of the Gadidae G. morhua spermatozoon differs from the structures described earlier for other Gadiformes. The unique features may be synapomorphic for marine Gadidae, and may contribute to the study of phylogenetic relationships in teleost fishes, and be a reference for future studies on spermatozoon quality and morphology in fish.