Cupelopagis vorax is a sessile, predatory rotifer with indirect development. The topology of its nervous system is partly known through histological examination of the female adult. However, there is no information on the larval stage, and so, no understanding of how metamorphosis might affect the configuration of neurites. Here, we use immunohistochemistry and confocal laser scanning microscopy to map the position of serotonin‐like immunoreactive (SLIR) neurites, which are hypothesized to be important in sensory innervation and stimulating locomotory activity. We found that the relative position and number of SLIR neurites were similar between larvae and adults despite differences in their ecologies and the drastic changes that occur at metamorphosis. Both life stages possess at least four pairs of perikarya in the cerebral ganglion, a pair of lateral nerve cords, and a pair of neurites that appear to innervate a portion of the digestive tract. The larval stage also possesses an SLIR neurite ring at the base of the corona that is postulated to function in stimulating ciliary activity and receiving sensory information from the apical field. Although the adult did not appear to possess this ring, we cannot rule out its presence, because immunoreactive signals in the anterior end were weak. In contrast to the larvae, the adult possessed a pair of SLIR neurites that appeared to innervate the neck region. We hypothesize that these neurites form a circuit that functions in prey detection and capture. Based on these results, it appears that despite their overall similarities, the two life stages show some unique neural patterns that correspond to their ecologies; neurites that function in the planktonic environment of larvae and neurites that likely function in prey detection in the sessile adults.

中文翻译：

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间接发育的轮虫Cupelopagis vorax（Gnesiotrocha，Collothecaceae）的神经系统重塑

铜el是一种无性，掠食性轮虫，具有间接发育。通过对成年女性进行组织学检查，可以部分了解其神经系统的拓扑结构。但是，没有关于幼虫阶段的信息，因此也没有了解变态如何影响神经突的形态。在这里，我们使用免疫组织化学和共聚焦激光扫描显微镜来绘制血清素样免疫反应（SLIR）神经突的位置图，据推测这些神经突在感觉神经支配和刺激机体活动中很重要。我们发现幼虫和成虫之间的相对位置和数量是相似的，尽管它们的生态学和变态时发生了巨大的变化。这两个生命阶段的大脑神经节中至少有四对角膜缘，一对侧神经索，和一对神经突，似乎支配消化道的一部分。幼虫阶段在日冕的底部还具有SLIR神经突环，该环被假定为刺激睫毛活动并从根尖区接收感觉信息。尽管该成年人似乎没有这个环，但是我们不能排除它的存在，因为前端的免疫反应信号很弱。与幼虫相反，该成虫具有一对似乎可支配颈部区域的SLIR神经突。我们假设这些神经突形成了一个在猎物检测和捕获中起作用的电路。根据这些结果，尽管它们的总体相似性，但两个生命阶段似乎显示出一些与其生态学相对应的独特神经模式。