A description of the nuchal organ, a possible photoreceptor, in Euprymna scolopes and other cephalopods

Abstract

A type of apparent photoreceptor, the nuchal organ, is described in the sepiolid squid Euprymna scolopes. These vesicles are identified in a variety of other cephalopod species. The nuchal organs have specific structural similarities to the already well-described photosensitive vesicles. Both organs have a distinct vesiculate structure and possess a rind consisting of several types of cells. Certain rind cells from both organs send processes with microvilli into the lumen of the vesicle forming a core area. Within the cores of both organs numerous microvilli occupy much of the core volume. These histological similarities provide strong evidence that the nuchal organs, like the photosensitive vesicles, are photoreceptors. Three distinct differences also exist between the nuchal organs and photosensitive vesicles: (1) the location of the nuchal organs differs from that of all known photosensitive vesicles in cephalopods; (2) the location of the nuchal organs is highly conservative in decapod cephalopods compared to the varying locations of the photosensitive vesicles; (3) the degree of structural order generally found within photosensitive vesicles is not apparent in the nuchal organs. The function of the nuchal organ is probably different from previously described photoreceptors in cephalopods.