Necturus Testis and Reproduction 



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Fig. 1. Gross dissection of Necturus maculosus displaying testes (large arrows) 

 attached to the dorsal body wall by a mesorchium (small arrows) through which 

 run the vasa efferentia that empty into the Wolffian duct (arrowheads). From 

 Pudneyetal. (1983). X 1.5. 



of the testis from a main, central, longitudinal collecting duct to which 

 they are joined by short tubes devoid of germ cells (see Fig. 3). The 

 main duct, in turn, is connected to the vasa efferentia, thus allowing 

 egress of spermatozoa from the testis. 



In Necturus, as in most urodeles, there is during the breeding cycle 

 a caudocephalic wave of spermatogenesis along the length of the testis, 



