Abstract
The morphology of a rhabdovirus-like particles, encountered in the gastric mill muscles of the blue crab is reported. The particles occurred in the Schwann cells, presumptive fibroblasts, haemocytes, within the cells forming walls of blood vessels and also in the extracellular spaces. Motor axons were free of such particles. The entities appeared rod-shaped with two rounded ends, measured about 30 nm in diameter and, on average, about 115 nm in length. In cross-sectional profile, they showed an outer granular layer surrounding an electron-dense ring-like structure with a central core of low electron density. Stacked particles with regular orientation were seen within the interlamellar space of the nuclear envelope. Also, membrane bound clusters of these particles formed inclusion bodies within the cytoplasm of the infected cells.