M.Sc. II Sem. (Zoology) : Primitive Characters of Dipnoi
M.Sc. II Sem. (Zoology) : Primitive Characters of Dipnoi
M.Sc. II Sem. (Zoology) : Primitive Characters of Dipnoi
(Zoology)
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Respiratory System of Dipnoi:
Both gill and pulmonary respiration take place in the lung-fishes. Although
the dipnoans possess the gills as well as lungs, they use mostly the lungs.
The nostrils help in aerial respiration.
The swim-bladder is modified into the ‘lung’ which is similar to that of other
tetrapods in structure and function.
The walls of the lungs contain muscle fibres and the internal cavity produces
numerous alveoli which lead into minute alveolar sacs. In Protopterus and
Lepidosiren the supply of blood to the lungs is elaborate.
Aquatic respiration takes place through the gills.
Neoceratodus, the most aquatic of the dipnoans, Protopterus and Lepidosiren
obtain 98% of their oxygen from the air.
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Circulatory System of Dipnoi:
The circulatory system is well developed.
The heart is enclosed in a stiff pericardium.
The heart of the lung-fishes consists of three parts, the auricle, ventricle and
conus arteriosus.
The auricle becomes dilated on either side of a thin and perforated inter-
auricular septum, i.e., the cavity of the auricle is almost divided.
The ventricle appears to be divided into two parts by the presence of septum,
the ventricular cavity is single and lies anterior to the so-called interauricular
septum.
The conus arteriosus becomes spirally twisted and the cavity becomes
complicated by the presence of valves.
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The olfactory lobes are sessile and lie dorsal to the anterior ends of the cerebral
hemispheres.
The diencephalon is relatively small and its roof is formed of a large mass of
choroid tissue, the saccus dorsalis.
A pineal body is present on the saccus dorsalis and its stem extends back
towards the posterior commissure.
The hypothalamus bears small inferior lobes.
The optic lobes are slightly developed and become fused to form single oval
mass in front of the cerebellum.
A peculiarly lobes saccus endolymphaticus or endo-lymphatic sacs lies above
the medulla oblongata.The cerebellum is small and forms a narrow transverse
ridge.
A sympathetic nervous system is associated with the vagus nerve.
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The kidneys are of mesonephric type and remain in intimate contact with the
gonads.
The kidneys extend throughout the greater part of the visceral cavity.
Two thick-walled ducts, one from each kidney, may unite in Neoceratodus or
may remain separate in Protopterus and Lepidosiren before opening into the
cloaca.
The lung-fishes normally excrete 30-70% of nitrogenous waste products
through the gills in the form of ammonia.
Reproductive System of Dipnoi:
The sexes are separate. The sexual dimorphism is absent excepting
Lepidosiren where the males develop vascular papillae on the pelvic fins
during breeding season.
Female Reproductive Organ
The ovaries are paired and elongated.
The ovaries are typically like that of other fishes and are kept in position in
Protopterus by mesovarium but in Neoceratodus these are attached with the
dorsal body wall.
The oviducts are located on the lateral side of the ovaries. Each oviduct
(Mullerian duct) opens anteriorly into the body cavity by a fringed slit-like
opening.
The eggs are shed free into the body cavity and carried out by the oviducts.
Male Reproductive Organs
There are two elongated testes in lung-fishes .
In Lepidosiren and Protopterus, the testes are narrow bodies and appear round
in cross- section. But in Neoceratodus the testes are thick and triangular in
cross-section.
The testes are enclosed by fatty tissues and lie on the ventrolateral sides of the
kidneys.
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Affinities of dipnoi
Dipnoi form an interesting group of fishes. Presence of the lungs lead to the
view that they are the ancestors of amphibia. Other-words, they were
considered as the connecting link between Pisces and Amphibia. This view is
no more supported. Present view is to treat them as a specialized or degenerate
descendants of the more primitive lobe-finned fishes to which they closely
resemble.
The affinities of Dipnoi can be studied under following heads:
1. Affinities with fishes:
(a) In general
(b) with elasmobranchi
(c) with Holocephali
(d) with Actinopterygii, and
(e) with Crossopterygii.
2. Affinities and dissimilarities with Amphibia
Affinities with fishes in general:
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1. Spindle-shaped, eel-like body.
2. Body covered with scales (Cycloid).
3. Presence of paired fins.
4. Diphycercal caudal fins.
5. Persistent notochord.
6. Skull with little ossification.
7. Paired gill-slits.
8. Branchial respiration.
9. Lateral line sense organs.
Affinities with Elasmobranchi:
1. Endoskeleton mostly cartilaginous.
2. Intestine with spiral valves.
3. Conus arteriosus with valves.
4. Each gill with two efferent arteries.
5. Absence of nephrostome in uriniferous tubules.
6. Small diencephalon with vascular roots.
7. Similar female reproductive organs.
Affinities with Holocephali:
1. Excurrent nostrils opening into mouth cavity.
2. Autostylic jaw suspensorium.
3. Gills covered with operculum.
4. No distinct stomach.
5. Intestine with a spiral valve.
6. Teeth fused to form dental plates.
7. Identical kidneys, gonads and gonoducts.
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8. Two efferent arteries in each gill.
Affinities with Actinopterygii:
1. Blunt snout with ventral nostril.
2. Presence of cycloid scales.
3. Strong palate and splenial teeth.
4. Presence of operculum covering gills.
5. Presence of swim bladder.
Affinities with Crossopterygii:
1. Diphycercal caudal fin.
2. Powerful leg-like lobate fins.
3. Identical skull bones.
4. Vertebral column upto the tip of caudal fin.
5. Air bladder for pulmonary respiration.
6. Internal nostrils.
7. Presence of contractile conus arteriosus.
Affinities with Amphibia:
1. Semiaquatic habitat.
2. Internal nostrils
3. Vomerine teeth.
4. Autostylic jaw suspensorium.
5. Multicellular cutaneous glands.
6. Pulmonary respiration.
7. Dermal scales as in Apoda.
8. Ventral aorta short or absent
9. Presence of anterior abdominal vein, posterior vena cava, pulmonary artery
and veins.
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10. Thin walled pericardium.
11. Long and narrow cerebral hemispheres.
12. Similar structure of egg and development
Dissimilarities with Amphibia:
1. Paired lobate-fins
2. Maxillae and premaxillae are absent.
3. Peculiar crushing tooth plates.
4. Few anterior vertebrae fused with skull.
5. Cartilagenous skull.
6. Lungs lie dorsal to gut.
7. Urinary bladder from dorsal wall of cloaca.
The above affinities indicate that dipnoans are not most advanced Pisces from which
amphibians could evolve. They are degenerate descendants of Crossopterygii.
According to Jarvik (1968) dipnoans are more specialized than crossopterygian.
According to latest view, both dipnoans and amphibians have originated from some
crossopterygian like ancestor.
There must have been a common ancestor for Dipnoi, Crossopterygii and
Labyrinthodont amphibia. So most probably, dipnoans are not the “fathers of the
amphibia”, but “uncles of the amphibian”. However, Jarvik (1980) considers that the
Dipnoi may be related to elasmorbranchs than any other animals.
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