The first multi-flagellate spermatozoa in the animal kingdom, discovered in Mastotermes darwiniensis.
In this paper the spermatozoa of Mastotermes darwiniensis is described. It is the first example of multiflagellate animal sperm cell, consisting of a conical head and about hundred flagella. Other remarkable features are the absence of acrosome, the centrioles made up by doublets instead of triplets and the axonemes devoid of central tubules and with doublets bearing only one arm. The flagella are feebly motile.
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005407:Flagella / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007313:Insecta / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009940:Organoids / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000648:ultrastructure*