Fig. 8.

Seasonal differences in hair bundle density and in the number of small hair bundles in the saccule of female midshipman (P. notatus). A) Phalloidin-labeled hair bundles were counted in 10,000 μm2 areas from seven regions across the saccule, as indicated by the numbered boxes on the line drawing (top portion of figure). The micrographs (top right) show representative images from the middle of the saccule from a nonreproductive and reproductive female. B) Hair bundle quantification from these seven saccular regions shows significantly more hair cells in noted regions (**, p <0.01; ***, p<0.001). Note: black bars, nonreproductive females; gray bars, reproductive females. Modified from [95]. C) Confocal brightest-point projection and scanning electron micrograph (B) showing a small, immature-like bundle (arrows) surrounded by a larger, mature hair bundles (arrowheads). Scale bars: C, 2 μm, B, 1 μm. E) Small hair bundles were counted in seven 15,380 μm2 regions of ten saccules from both reproductive (gray bars) and nonreproductive (black bars) females. There were significantly higher densities of small hair bundles between reproductive and nonreproductive females in the noted saccular regions (* p <0.05; **, p<0.01). Modified from [95].