Polymorphism in the symmetries of gastric pouch arrangements in the sea anemone D. lineata.

ABSTRACT: Symmetry in the arrangement of body parts is a distinctive phylogenetic feature of animals. Cnidarians show both bilateral and radial symmetries in their internal organs, such as gastric pouches and muscles. However, how different symmetries appear during the developmental process remains unknown. Here, we report intraspecific variations in the symmetric arrangement of gastric pouches, muscles, and siphonoglyphs, the Anthozoan-specific organ that drives water into the organism, in D. lineata (Diadumenidae, Actiniaria). We found that the positional arrangement of the internal organs was apparently constrained to either biradial or bilateral symmetries depending on the number of siphonoglyphs. Based on the morphological observations, a mathematical model of internal organ positioning was emp

SUBMITTER: Sarper SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8419960 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature