Fig. 3.

Euperipatoides kanangrensis. (A–I) Cleavage stages of unstained live material. (J–K) specimens fixed and then stained with DAPI. (A) Two nuclei at the surface (arrows). (B) Four nuclei stage, each nucleus is composed of a clear, circular area (arrowhead) surrounded by a white zone (arrows). (C) Eight nuclei (1–8) stage with cleavage planes indicated by arrowheads. (D) Same embryo as in C a few hours later when the newly divided nuclei have been rearranged into two rows; each numbered nucleus corresponds to the nucleus with the same number in C. The left arrow indicates the pattern of nuclei and the right arrow indicates the long axis of the egg. (E) Another eight nuclei embryo with the rows of nuclei arranged in a different orientation (left arrow) compared with long axis of the egg (right arrow). (F) 16 nuclei stage with the nuclei organized in an alignment (arrows). (G) 32 nuclei stage, the nuclei are starting to loose their organization and synchronization. The boundaries around the nuclei are starting to be sharp (arrowhead), indicating forming cell membranes (see also Fig. 3L). (H) An embryo with approximately fifty cells and the yolk starting to segment (arrows) forming yolk granules without nuclei. The cells containing a nucleus appear white (arrowhead). (I) Embryo with approximately 150 cells and yolk granules formed (arrow). (J) An embryo with the number of cells estimated to be around 1000 forming a saddle of blastoderm cells on one side of the egg (b). (K) An embryo with a blastoderm (b) covering the yolk granules (y). (L) A dissected cell from a 32 cell stage embryo stained with DAPI showing the nucleus (n) and granules (g). Scale bars: A–K 300 μm, L 50 μm.