ULTRASTRUCTURE OF VITELLOGENESIS AND VITELLOCYTES IN LECITHOCHIRIUM GRANDID ON SAURIDA UNDOSQUAMIS, TRAPPED FROM ALATAKA HARBOR, SUEZ GULF, EGYPT

The study gave TEM ultrastructural of vitellogenesis in Lecithochirium grandid, digenean in-testinal parasite of Saurida undosquamis, four developmental phases (1, 2, 3 & 4) during vitel-logenesis. Vitelline bundles were enveloped with fine fibrous layer surrounded with separ-ated circular muscle bands. Ultrastructural study showed that vitellocyte maturation comprised of increased extension of parallel cisternae of GER, increase in cell size and in the different ph-ases increased numbers of pellets aggregation in clusters during vitellogenesis. In mature vitel-locytes, there were large numbers of various aggregations such as aggregation of pellets in clus-ters; the important portion in construction of egg shell and a number of unsaturated lipid drop-lets. This agreed with different phases of oocyte development in parasitic Platyhelminthes.