Fig. 14.

Neuro-muscular system of the peripheral areas of Stephanella hina. Confocal laser scanning microscopy stacks based on acetylated alpha-tubulin labelling. Volume renderings, projections or optical slices. Acetylated alpha-tubulin in green LUT, f-actin in glow LUT. a Optical section showing body wall musculature on the left and tentacle sheath musculature on the right. Both show thick longitudinal fibres and thinner circular fibres. b Overview of an extended polypide showing diffuse tentacle sheath innervation in form of a plexus. c Tentacle sheath musculature of a retracted polypide showing both circular and longitudinal fibres close to the lophophoral base. d Diffuse nerve plexus of the body wall and partially underlying tentacle sheath nervous plexus. e Orthogonal grid of the body wall musculature in the thin, ‘stolon’-like parts of the colony. Abbreviations: bcm – body wall circular muscle, blm – body wall longitudinal muscle, bwn - body wall nerves, lb. – lophophoral base, ph – pharynx, rn – radial nerve, tcm – tentacle sheath circular muscle, ti – tentacle innervation, tlm – tentacle sheath longitudinal muscle, ts – tentacle sheath, tsn – tentacle sheath innervation