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The digestive tract of Nautilus pompilius (Cephalopoda, Tetrabranchiata): an X-ray analytical and computational tomography study on the living animal

Bettina Westermann^1,*, Peter Ruth¹, Horst Detlef Litzlbauer², Ingrid Beck³, Knut Beuerlein¹, Henrike Schmidtberg¹, Erhard F. Kaleta³ and Rudolf Schipp¹

¹ Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Bereich Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstrasse 24, D-35390 Giessen, Germany
² Zentrum für diagnostische Radiologie der Chirurgie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Klinikstrasse 29, 35392 Giessen, Germany
³ Institut für Geflügelkrankheiten der Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 91, 35392 Giessen, Germany

View larger version (33K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. (A) Diagram of the digestive tract of Nautilus pompilius according to Griffin (1900). CA, caecum; DH, ductus hepatopancreas; E, oesophagus, F, longitudinal fold of the rectum; J, jaw; I, intestine; LF, longitudinal folds; R, rectum; S, stomach; SG, salivary glands; T, typhlosolis; V, vestibulum. (B) Median section of Nautilus pompilius according to Naef (1913). BC, body cavity; BU, buccal complex; CR, crop; CA, caecum; CI cirrus; F, funnel; G, gills; HO, hood; H, heart; MA, mantle; O, ovary; PG, pedal ganglion; R, rectum; RA, renal appendages; S, stomach; SE, septum; SI, siphuncle; SG, supraoesphageal ganglion; VG, visceral ganglion.

View larger version (71K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Computer tomogram of the digestive tract of Nautilus pompilius. (A-C) Three-dimensional reproductions from the right side (A), from the left side (B) and in ventral view (C). (D,E) The digestive tract within the animal, from the left side (D) and the front (E). CR, crop; J, jaw; M, midgut; R, rectum; RA, renal appendages; S, stomach; SI, siphuncle.

View larger version (161K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Cross section of the oesophagus wall (A) and the crop (B) in the foregut of Nautilus pompilius. Masson staining after Goldner. Scale bars, 100 µm. Note the double folding of the tunica mucosa in B. BS, blood sinus; L, lumen; LE, lamina epithelialis mucosae; LP, lamina propria mucosae; SC, stratum circulare; SL, stratum longitudinale; PN, polyaxonal nerve fibres; TA, tunica adventitia; TM, tunica muscularis, V, vessel.

View larger version (170K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. X-ray photographs of the digestive tract of Nautilus pompilius. Distribution of barium-sulphate-labelled food (A) 20 min, (B) 40 min, (C) 2 h, (D) 3 h, (E) 4 h, (F) 6 h, (G) 8 h, (H) 9 h and (I) 11 h after food intake. At each time point, a lateral (left) and topview (right) image are shown. Shell length 11 cm. CR, crop; J, jaw; M, midgut; R, rectum; RA, renal appendages; S, stomach; SE, septum.

View larger version (83K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. X-ray photographs of the digestive tract of Nautilus pompilius. Distribution of barium-sulphate-labelled food (A) 20 min, (B) 40 min, (C) 2 h, (D) 3 h, (E) 4 h, (F) 6 h, (G) 8 h, (H) 9 h and (I) 11 h after food intake. At each time point, a lateral (left) and topview (right) image are shown. Shell length 11 cm. CR, crop; J, jaw; M, midgut; R, rectum; RA, renal appendages; S, stomach; SE, septum.

View larger version (35K): [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Diagram of the digestive tract of Nautilus pompilius based on the results of this study (A) from the left side and (B) from the top. CR, crop; CA, caecum; DH, ductus hepatopancreas; M, midgut; O, oesophagus; R, rectum; S, stomach; V, vestibulum.