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Ultrastructure Of The Coeloms Of Auricularia Larval (Holothuroidea Echinodermata): Evidence For The Presence Of An Axocoel, E. J. Balser, E. E. Ruppert, William Jaeckle

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A hallmark feature of echinoderm larvae is the development of the left anterior coelom. This coelom, called the axohydrocoel, consists of the morphologically distinct, but undivided, left axocel and hydrocel. The axocoelic portion forms a duct that opens to the exterior via a pore on the dorsal surface of the animal. Holothuroid larvae are thought to lack an axocoel, but develop an anterior coelom, duct, and pore that are regarded as parts of the hydrocoel. New ultrastructural data, however, show that holothuroid auricularia larvae possess an axocel and hydrocel united together into an axohydrocoel. During development the anterior coelom consists …