Tegumental glands in a copepod Hemidiaptomus ingens: Structural, ultrastructural and cytochemical aspects.

Segmental tegumental glands in the calanoid copepods Hemidiaptomus ingens provinciae release secretions through pores which are located near the glands. These pores exhibit a partitioned structure. Ultrastructurally, all glands present a syncytial organization and are characterized by a highly developed Golgi apparatus and secretory grains with a heterogeneous structure. Cytochemical tests show that the grains are composed mainly by highly reactive polysaccharides associated with protein granulations alternating with slightly, if at all, reactive polysaccharides. The role of these secretions is still unclear.