The fine structure of the trunk and praesoma wall ofAcanthocephalus ranae(Schrank, 1788), Lühe, 1911

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Abstract
The wall of the trunk, that of the praesoma, and the lemnisci ofAcanthocephalus ranaehave been studied by electron microscopy. Striations visible in sections of the body wall under the light microscope do not correspond with the ‘striped layer’ revealed by the electron microscope.A new region, the ‘canal layer’, has been described. This contains canals running into the body wall from cuticular pores.Structurally the wall of the trunk and that of the praesoma are similar. The lemnisci resemble the ‘inner layer’ of the praesoma wall. However, it is suggested that the wall of the trunk differs physiologically from that of the praesoma, and from the lemnisci. The possible roles of the wall of the praesoma and the lemnisci in fat excretion or uptake have been discussed.The body wall ofA. ranaehas been compared with that of the other acantho-cephalans studied with the electron microscope.Grateful acknowledgement is made to D.S.I.R. (now S.R.C.) for a research grant to the Department of Zoology for the purchase of a Huxley ultramicrotome, a vacuum coating unit, and an AEI EM 6 electron microscope.I am grateful to Dr D. A. Erasmus for reading and criticizing the manuscript, and to Mr T. Davies for valuable technical assistance.