Figure 1

Overview of the animal M. lignano. (A) Schematic drawing of M. lignano with indication of the amputation level (red dashed line). Dorsal view. The amputated tail plate is magnified in (C). (B, E, F) Focal interference contrast series through the tail plate of a living specimen. (B) Ventral focus plane showing the male genital opening mo and about 140 duo-gland adhesive systems dg. (C) Schematic drawing of the tail plate. Attached to the male copulatory organ (stylet st) are the vesicula granulorum gv, connected with the seminal vesicle sv and the false seminal vesicle fsv. Prostate glands pg are reaching into the gv and further down the st. Rhabdites rh are located between the epidermal cells. Dg are emerging at the posterior tip of the tail plate. The posterior end of the sac-like gut and cement/shell glands surrounding the female genital opening gsf are at the anterior border of the amputated piece. Main longitudinal nerve cords mnc in blue. (D) Higher magnification of dg. Scale bar is 10 μm. (E) Mnc in focus (band between arrow heads). (F) Mid-level focus plane with the male genital apparatus. Scale bar is 50 μm. (B, E, F) same scale.