Abstract
The Nematomorpha (horsehair worms) and Nematoda (round worms) are sister taxa (together Nematoida) and closely related to Scalidophora (Priapulida, Kinorhyncha, Loricifera). To date, all species were assumed to possess a specific brain type, i.e., the “cycloneuralian” brain that forms a ring-shaped neuropil around the pharynx and is composed of anteriorly and posteriorly located somata. However, descriptions of the nematomorph nervous system are rare and somewhat variable, calling in to question the validity of the cycloneuralian condition. To clarify whether there is a typical cycloneuralian pattern in the nematomorph brain, we investigated the anterior end of Gordius aquaticus with different methods: histology, immunohistochemistry and micro-CT analysis. Three-dimensional reconstructions were made from histological serial sections. The brain is composed of a central neuropil and a ring-shaped structure with associated somata. The unpaired ventral nerve cord emerges from the posteroventral part of the brain. A pharynx/esophagus is absent. In addition to the brain, a peripheral nerve plexus was detected. In summary, we interpret the architecture of the brain as potentially derived from a cycloneuralian structure, but being highly modified. The central position of the neuropil is possibly a consequence of the reduction of the anterior intestinal system as a result of the parasitic lifestyle. The ring-shaped arrangement of the somata may be a remnant of a cycloneuralian arrangement, after the two rings of somata (= cycloneuralian condition) either fused or one ring was reduced to form one massive ring-shaped structure in G. aquaticus.
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