title: Structural and Developmental Disparity in the Tentacles of the Moon Jellyfish Aurelia sp.1.
abstract: Tentacles armed with stinging cells (cnidocytes) are a defining trait of the cnidarians, a phylum that includes sea anemones, corals, jellyfish, and hydras. While cnidarian tentacles are generally characterized as structures evolved for feeding and defense, significant variation exists between the tentacles of different species, and within the same species across different life stages and/or body regions. Such diversity suggests cryptic distinctions exist in tentacle function. In this paper, we use confocal and transmission electron microscopy to contrast the structure and development of tentacles in the moon jellyfish, Aurelia species 1. We show that polyp oral tentacles and medusa marginal tentacles display markedly different cellular and muscular architecture, as well as distinct patterns of cellular proliferation during growth. Many structural differences between these tentacle types may reflect biomechanical solutions to different feeding strategies, although further work would be required for a precise mechanistic understanding. However, differences in cell proliferation dynamics suggests that the two tentacle forms lack a conserved mechanism of development, challenging the textbook-notion that cnidarian tentacles can be homologized into a conserved bauplan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biolology. University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biolology. University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nagayasu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biolology. University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nicholai M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Hensley
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biolology. University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kira
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cozzolino
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biolology. University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabatabaee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biolology. University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hartenstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biolology. University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Jacobs
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000378:Agonistic Behavior; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002455:Cell Division; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009132:Muscles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity