Developmental, regenerative, and behavioral dynamics in acoel reproduction.

ABSTRACT: Acoel worms belong to an enigmatic and understudied animal lineage in the phylum Xenacoelomorpha. Sparse taxonomic and histological work suggests that these worms exhibit a diversity of reproductive anatomies and likely a corresponding diversity in reproductive behavior. Here, we study the reproductive life history of the three-banded panther worm Hofstenia miamia, an acoel that is emerging as a lab-tractable model system. Using confocal microscopy and histology, we describe H. miamia's reproductive organs, identifying structures previously unknown in acoels. Following a cohort of worms from zygote to adulthood, we quantify the developmental dynamics of their reproductive organs, and find that these organs emerge in a stereotyped sequence as a function of increasing body size

SUBMITTER: Chandra V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12439915 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature