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The morphology of the fourth abdominal ganglion of the hermit crab: A light microscope study
Author(s) -
Chapple William D.,
Hearney Elaine Schmidt
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051440403
Subject(s) - biology , anatomy , ganglion , neuropil , appendage , hermit crab , crayfish , commissure , connective tissue , crustacean , neuroscience , zoology , decapoda , fishery , central nervous system , genetics
The hermit crab, Pagurus pollicarus , has the same organization in its fourth abdominal ganglion as its macruran relatives in spite of the reduction in abdominal muscles, sensory receptors, and appendages. Connective axons are grouped into discrete bundles between which five groups of commissural fibers run to connect left and right sides. The neurites of ventral cell bodies run dorsally in characteristic groups between the connective bundles. The hermit crab fourth ganglion has two thirds as many cells as the crayfish and is laterally compressed. This reduction appears related to the reduction in the sizes of the ganglionic roots. The ventral fine fibered neuropil is larger on the left than the right side reflecting the loss of pleopods on the right side. The basic organization of decapod abdominal ganglia appears to permit considerable integrative flexibility within a relatively conservative morphological framework.