Jumieson, B. G. M., Oliver, S. C. and Scheltinga, D. M. 1996. The ultrastructure of the spermatozoa of Squamata-I. Scincidae, Gekkonidae and Pygopodidae (Reptiha).-Acru Zoologicu (Stockholm) 77: 85-100Squamate autapomorphies seen in sperm of the Scincidae (e.g. Ctenotus robustus, Curliu pectoralis, Cryptoblepharus virgutus, and Lampropholis delicuru) are penetration of the fibrous sheath of the axoneme into the midpiece, and the paracrystalline subacrosomal cone. Sphenomorphus group spermatozoa ( e g Crenorus) and the Egernia group (Tiliqua) differ from the more derived Eugongylus group (C. virgutus, L . delicutu and C. pectoralis) in that the acrosome is elongate and apically depressed; the perforatorium is strongly oblique; the midpiece is relatively short, with four dense ring structures in longitudinal succession; mitochondria are columnar; and enlarged peripheral fibres 3 and 8 do not show the gross anterior enlargement seen in Curliu and Lampropholis. Hereronotiu binoei (Gekkonidae) sperm have no epinuclear electron-lucent region; nuclear shoulders are smooth, as in sphenomorph but not Eugongylus group skinks; mitochondria are columnar; unlike skinks, the median surfaces of the mitochondria are indented by triangular, sometimes longitudinally, interconnected dense bodies. In Liulis burtonis (Pygopodidae) sperm, the perforatorium extends virtually to the tip of the fore-shortened apically domed acrosome; nuclear shoulders are absent; the mitochondria alternate singly or in groups with one or more dense bodies which also form an intempted collar around the distal centriole. Spermatozoa1 ultrastructure suggests that a common ancestry of snakes and pygopods deserves consideration.

Two species of Australian freshwater turtle were submerged in either water of 0‰ or 15‰ over 50 days. Turtles in 15‰ water reduced feeding and had raised plasma ionic concentrations of sodium, chloride, urea and uric acid to decrease dehydration and enable survival.

Jamieson, E. G. M., Scheltinga. D. M. & Richer de Forges, E. 1998. An ultrastructural study of spermatozoa of the Majidae with particular reference to the aberrant spermatozoon of Macropodia longirostris (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura).-Actu Zoalogica (Stockholm) 79: 193-206.A total of 17 species, in 14 genera of majids have been examined for sperm ultrastructure. The present account describes the sperm of six of these species, in two subfamilies: PisinaeSphenocarcinus orbicularus and Sphenocarcinus stuckiae and Inachinae-Cyrtomaia furici, Gypacheus hyalinus. flatymaia rebierei and Macropodia longirostris. M. longirostris has the only eubrachyuran sperm in which the acrosome is known to depart radically from a subspheroidal form. The acrosome is semilunar in shape and is bordered by a very thin layer of cytoplasm and an unusually uniform, narrow band of chromatin. The apical surface of the acrosome is almost flat, though slightly concave, whereas the posterior surface forms a hemisphere, and is almost completely occupied by the thin, centrally perforate, electron dense operculum. The bulk of the acrosome consists of a homogeneous, moderately electron dense outer acrosome zone. This surrounds a small inner acrosome zone internal to which is an ellipsoidal, pale perforatorium capped by a central acrosome zone. Majid sperm are distinguished by a flattened andlor centrally depressed operculum; a further characteristic is that the pointed perforatorium is relatively short and frequently does not reach the operculum. They vary inter alia with regard to presence or absence of a posterior median process and, apparently. of centrioles and of microtubules in the nuclear arms, and in the number of these ams. Perforation of the operculum, seen in the Pisinae, is not constant in the Inachinae. Spermatozoal ultrastructure offers no certain support for a close relationship of majids with parthenopids or hymenosomatids.

The spermatozoa of Crotaphytus bicinctores and Gambelia wislizenii (Crotaphytidae), and Anolis carolinensis (Polychrotidae) exhibit the squamate autapomorphies of a single perforatorium extending anteriorly from the apical tip of the paracrystalline subacrosomal cone, the presence of an epinuclear electron-lucent region, and extension of the fibrous sheath into the midpiece. Crotaphytid sperm differ from those of polychrotids in several respects, including: the structure of the perforatorium, the size of the epinuclear electron-lucent region, aspects of the acrosome complex, the arrangement and structure of intermitochondrial dense bodies, and in the distance the fibrous sheath extends into the midpiece. The sperm of C. bicinctores, G. wislizenii, and A. carolinensis are most similar to those of the agamids and phrynosomatids examined to date. No spermatozoal autapomorphies for Crotaphytidae or Polychrotidae were found. The condition of having the intermitochondrial dense bodies arranged in regular incomplete rings is tentatively defined as a synapomorphy of Iguania (although modified in Chamaeleonidae). Spermatozoal ultrastructure offers no characters that justify the separation of Iguanidae (sensu lato) into several separate families.

During studies of amphibian sperm cryopreservation, a new species of myxosporidean parasite (Myxozoa, Myxosporae) was observed in the testes of the Australian dwarf green tree frog Litoria fallax (Peters). Myxosporidiasis was found to have no affect on L. fallax body condition or sperm numbers. Myxobolus spores from L. fallax are morphologically distinct from Myxobolus hylae spores (infecting the sympatric Litoria aurea Lesson) and the three previously named (exotic to Australia) Myxobolus species found in anurans. Myxobolus fallax n. sp. is characterised by: pseudocyst white, spherical to ovoid, 141 x 74 to 438 x 337 microm in diameter (mature); plasmodium with spores loosely arranged within interior. Spores ovoid 13.4 +/- 0.5 (12.6-14.6) microm length, 9.5 +/- 0.4 (8.3-10.6) microm width, 6.8 +/- 0.4 (6.5-7.6) microm depth, 1.4 +/- 0.1 (1.3-1.6) length/width; polar capsules broadly pyriform and equal in size 4.2 +/- 0.3 (3.3-4.7) microm length, 2.4 +/- 0.2 (2.1-2.8) microm width; filament coils 7-8, wound tightly and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the capsule; polar filament 34 +/- 7.0 (18-50) microm length; intercapsular appendix and sutural ridge folds absent; and iodinophilous vacuole and mucous envelope lacking. In addition to this new species, data from archival samples of M. hylae are provided which show two morphologically distinct spore types. Both appeared rarely in the same pseudocysts and we cautiously retain the single species.