ULTRASTRUCTURE OF VITELLOGENESIS AND VITELLOCYTES IN LECITHOCHIRIUM GRANDID ON SAURIDA UNDOSQUAMIS, TRAPPED FROM ALATAKA HARBOR, SUEZ GULF, EGYPT

Abstract

The study gave TEM ultrastructural of vitellogenesis in Lecithochirium grandid , digenean intestinal parasite of Saurida undosquamis , four developmental phases (1, 2, 3 & 4) during vitel-logenesis. Vitelline bundles were enveloped with fine fibrous layer surrounded with separ-ated circular muscle bands. Ultrastructural study showed that vitellocyte maturation comprised of increased extension of parallel cisternae of GER, increase in cell size and in the different phases increased numbers of pellets aggregation in clusters during vitellogenesis. In mature vitel-locytes, there were large numbers of various aggregations such as aggregation of pellets in clusters; the important portion in construction of egg shell and a number of unsaturated lipid droplets. This agreed with different phases of oocyte development in parasitic Platyhelminthes.