The Life of CrustaceaCalman, W. T. (William Thomas)
Science
The Life of Crustacea
Calman, W. T. (William Thomas)
Crustacea
In the further development of the larva, the body increases in length
and becomes divided into somites which increase in number by new somites
appearing behind those already marked off; the rudiments of the limbs
also appear in regular order from before backwards; the dorsal shield of
the nauplius grows out into a carapace, beneath which the paired eyes
begin to develop in front. Thus after passing through _metanauplius_ and
_protozoëa_ stages (Fig. 29, B) the larva becomes a _zoëa_ (Fig. 29, C),
resembling that of the Crab already described in that the swimming
organs are the maxillipeds, but differing in having the uropods well
developed and forming a tail-fan at the end of the abdomen, the hinder
thoracic somites marked off and their appendages present as rudiments,
and the stalked eyes free from the carapace. This is followed by a
_schizopod_ stage (Fig. 29, D), in which the prawn-like shape is assumed
and the thoracic legs have large exopodites used for swimming. Later
these exopodites diminish in size, though they do not quite disappear in
the adult _Penæus_, and the function of swimming organs is taken over by
the abdominal swimmerets.
In _Penæus_ the larvæ are of comparatively simple form, but in the
allied genus _Sergestes_ the zoëa has a very remarkable appearance. The
carapace is armed with long spines, each bearing two comb-like rows of
secondary spines. The development of spines and other outgrowths of the
surface of the body is a very common characteristic of organisms that,
like these larvæ, float or swim in the open sea; its probable
significance will be discussed in a later chapter.
The shrimp-like Euphausiacea have a larval development very like that of
_Penæus_. Most, if not all, of the species are hatched from the egg in
the nauplius stage, and pass through stages very similar to those
described above. The adult animals, however, may be said to remain in
the "schizopod" stage, since the exopodites of the thoracic legs remain
large and are used in swimming.
[Illustration: FIG. 30--NEWLY-HATCHED YOUNG OF A CRAYFISH (_Astacus
fluviatilis_). ENLARGED]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account