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f107group2 · 3 years

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Spiny Lobster: Spiny and Clawless but Colorful Nonetheless

Photo from: Florent’s Guide to the Tropical Reefs

Yes, you read it right! Apparently there exists a lobster (Family Palinuridae) without claws. It may not be the one you’ve exactly imagined when you see those crustaceans whose claws are clamped in an aquarium outside a seafood restaurant but we’re pretty sure these lobsters saved the chef from some pinches. To some punctures? That we don’t know. It is named spiny lobster afterall!

I. Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Crustacea

Class: Malacostraca

Subclass: Eumalacostraca

Superorder: Eucarida

Order: Decapoda

Suborder: Pleocyemata

Infraorder: Achelata

Family: Panuliridae

Genus: Panulirus

Species: versicolor (Fofonoff et. al. 2018)

II. Distribution: Hi! So my address is just right here..

Photo from: Lavery et. al. 2014

Known as the Painted Spiny Lobster, they are native to the Indo-Pacific waters and are distributed in the Red Sea, South Africa, Southern Japan, Northern Australia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. However, the first non-native occurrence is reported in the Brunswick River, Georgia (Fofonoff et. al. 2018).

III. Anatomy: Pinching for that Body Plan

Extenal Anatomy

The external anatomy of a true lobster (Family Nephropidae) is composed of two parts: The Cephalothorax and the Abdomen as depicted above. The same is true for spiny lobsters but the Paniluridae traversed a different way in the path called evolution.

Photo from: Charles Derby 2011 (up) and Nemesis Database Species Summary (down)

So what do true lobsters have that spiny lobsters don’t? Or better yet what makes spiny lobsters unique from other lobsters?

Spiny lobsters lack the prominent claws and rostrum associated with true lobsters and instead have two frontal horns and prominent dorsal spines (Fofonoff et. al. 2018). Its body is tubular in shape with all of its legs not possessing true pincers and the first pair is not enlarged (Tavares). The antennae are cylindrical, enlarged, and longer than its body. The total body length reaches up to 400mm, but the average maximum size is around 300mm. The male spiny lobster tends to be larger than females (Fofonoff et. al. 2018).

Panulirus versicolor’s carapace has a whitish background, with large areas of bluish-black. The abdomen, on the other hand, is predominantly green in color and the telson is a mix of bluish-black and green. The legs are lined with black and blue stripes. The antenna is pinkish-red in the thicker and lower segments and becomes white ringed with black rings in the upper segment (Sutton 2017).

Photo by: Sutton 2017

The following are brief functions of the spiny lobster’s general external anatomy:

Shell: This part is the lobster’s exoskeleton, made from chitin, which serves as a protection for the internal anatomy. However, for the lobster to grow, it sheds its shell in the process called molting.

Antennae and Antennules: The antennae and antennules of the lobster are used as chemoreceptors, which detect odors and chemical signals to help them in locating food, mate, and avoid danger. In spiny lobsters, the antenna is longer than the antennules.

Stalks: For their vision, lobsters have long and stalked compound eyes. Although stalked, their vision is not that excellent, and can only see images in dim light.

Legs: Since they are under Decapoda, they have 10 legs that are used by the animal to navigate its way on the seafloor.

Tail fan: This is the last segment of the lobster. It has a telson as the center tail fin and pairs of uropods at both sides and is used for backward propulsion.

Internal Anatomy

These creatures as a member of the Decapod group have internal organs that are the same as the other species. Its circulatory system is open, unlike humans. They have a single-chambered heart that is composed of muscles and ostia, or openings. Usually, the heart of an adult lobster beats for 50-136 beats per minute.

IV. Reproduction and Life Cycle

Photo from: Shiran Weerathunga, 2014

A day in a lobster’s life, they reach sexual maturity at the age of 5 to 6 years. The male’s task is to mate with as many female lobsters there is. Usually, they mate to a depth of 50 to 100 feet of water. As they mate, the male will deposit its spermatophore or known as the plaster in the female’s belly. After a while, the female will move to waters less than 30 feet deep, and when she is ready to spawn, she will use the pincers on her fifth walking leg to cut the plaster and fertilize her 80,000 to 800,000 eggs.

These eggs will be deposited under her tail, where she will perform parental duties until they hatch 9 to 10 weeks later. Usually, the larvae are transparent, large, pigmented eyes with long legs, and have little resemblance to adult lobsters. After 7 to 9 months they drift with the currents and eat plankton, after which they go to shallow water and settle at the bottom. Their lifespan is estimated to be 15 years (Cardone 2008; NOAA Fisheries 2020).

Check out this video of spiny lobsters mating!

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and these cute baby lobsters!

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V. Ecology

Habitat

They are found living singly or in groups in shallow water ranging from the low-tide marks up to 15 m depth and often reside in rocky areas, coral reefs, and overhangs that provide them protection (Fofonoff et. al. 2018; Mortiz 2010).

Photo by: Aquapix

Feeding Habit and Predators

Spiny lobsters are nocturnal and carnivore feeders. They even exhibit cannibalism at some point in their lives.They remain hidden in their reef or rock shelters called dens during the day and hunt during night for a variety of mollusks, shrimp, crabs, worms, and sea urchins (Sutton 2017). They use their strong legs to pry open their prey. Meanwhile, spiny lobsters are a delicacy not only to humans but octopus, groupers, and trigger fishes as well.

Be fascintaed with this video on how spiny lobsters protect themselves from a trigger fish.

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VI. Relationship with Humans

Ornamental organisms

The juvenile painted spiny lobster displays a vibrant and attractive coloration of blue and purple body with white antennae which has attracted the market of tropical marine aquarium trade (Fofonoff et. al. 2018).

Photo by: Rokus Groeneveld & Sanne Rejis

For consumption

Spiny lobsters in general are eaten and are regarded as a delicacy. The meat located at the lobster’s abdomen proved to be very tasty and chewy.

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While the lobster is a rich source of copper and selenium, it contains very high cholesterol, thus, it should be eaten in a regulated manner. Additionally, lobster contains zinc, phosphorus, vitamin B12, magnesium, vitamin E, and a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids (Ware 2018).

For livelihood

As of 2011, Panulirus spp. farming has not been reported in the last years to FAO but the species are cultured in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines (Clive and Shanks 2009). Philippine waters are a natural resource of seeds for lobster farming and so there is a regional trade in peuruli and juveniles to establish spiny lobster farming.

Photo from: Mercator Media Ltd 2020

However, an article published in 2018 says that BFAR will bring the lucrative lobster culture to poor communities in Eastern Visayas by providing the cages and feeds to the beneficiaries (Meniano 2018). According to BFAR, the lobster culture is very ideal not only because of the strong demand from China and Taiwan but also because it is very expensive (4,000 per kilogram) (Meniano 2018).

VII. Did you know?

1. Lobsters pee out of their heads. While their anus is located posteriorly, their bladder is found under its brain and the opening is located at the base of their antennae, or just under their eyes!

2. The female lobster takes "her clothes off" to mate. Female lobsters “take off” their shells during molting and it is in this process that they decide to mate as well.

3. Lobsters have two stomachs. To make things even more weird, the first stomach located on its head has teeth! It functions to crush food and the second aids in digestion and is located at the abdomen.

4. Lobsters can detach one of their limbs in an emergency. Don’t worry, they are able to regrow it during the molting process.(Yes, the organism in the video is a crayfish but the mechanism is the same with their lobster cousins!)

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5. In the 17th century, lobster was anything but a delicacy. In fact, a field guide by Motoh from Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center in 1980 said that the spiny lobster sells for about ₱55/kg in Manila and ₱40/kg in local areas! Now, as stated above, it costs ₱4,000/kg!

Photo from: Creative Tourist (Courtesy of Barnsley Museum)

6. The blood is known as the hemolymph and is color blue due to the presence of Copper.

Photo from: @WhatTheFFacts on twitter

VIII. References

American Lobster. (2020). Overview of Homarus americanus: The American Lobster. Retrieved November 9, 2020, from, http://www.parl.ns.ca/lobster/overview.htm

Cardone, B. (2008). The Lifecycle of Spiny Lobsters - California Diving News. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://cadivingnews.com/the-lifecycle-of-spiny-lobsters/

Clive, J., Shanks, S. (2009). Requirements for the aquaculture of Panulirus ornatus in Australia. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, 98-109

Fofonoff PW, Ruiz GM, Steves B, Simkanin C, & Carlton JT. (2018). National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System. Retrieved November 9, 2020, from, http://invasions.si.edu/nemesis/

Lavery S.D., Farhadi A., Farhamand H., Chan T.Y., Azhdehakoshpour A., Thakur V., Jeffs, A. (2014). Evolutionary Divergence of Geographic Subspecies within the Scalloped Spiny Lobster

Panulirus homarus (Linnaeus 1758). Retrieved November 9, 2020, from,DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097247

Meniano, S. (2018). BFAR eyes lobster farms in 3 Eastern Visayas provinces. Retrieved from Philippine News Agency: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042610#:~:text=Lobster%20culture%20is%20very%20ideal,high%20preference%20for%20live%20lobsters.&text=A%20fishermen%20can%20raise%20up%20to%20100%20lobster%20juveniles%20in%20a%20cage.

Mortiz. (2010). Family Palinuridae - spiny lobsters. Retrieved from SealifeBase: https://www.sealifebase.ca/Summary/FamilySummary.php?ID=13

Motoh, H. (1980). FIELD GUIDE FOR THE EDIBLE CRUSTACEA OF THE PHILIPPINES. Iloilo, Philippines: SOUTHEAST ASIAN FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT CENTER (SEAFDEC) .

NOAA fisheries. (2020). Caribbean Spiny Lobster. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/caribbean-spiny-lobster#:~:text=Spiny%20lobsters%20may%20live%2015,3.6%20inches%20in%20the%20Caribbean.

Sutton, A. (2017). Painted Spiny Lobster – Facts and Photographs. Retrieved from Seaunseaan: https://seaunseen.com/painted-spiny-lobster-facts-and-photographs-clone/

Tavares, M. (2002). The living marine resources of the western central Atlantic. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Area 51 and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, 294-325.

Ware, M. (2018). Everything you need to know about lobster. Retrieved from Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/303332

#lobster #spinylobster #paintedspinylobster #Panulirus #Panulirisversicolor #Panuliridae #invertebrates aquaticinvertebrates

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sabbathercio · 3 years

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Já se perdeu na taxonomia? Anota aí: Arthropoda (Filo) – Crustacea (Subfilo) – Malacostraca (Classe) – Eumalacostraca (Subclasse) – Eucarida (Superordem) – Decapoda (Ordem) – Infraordem Stenopodidae ou Caridea (existem outras, ok?). Todos os nossos amigos crustáceos são, literalmente, casca dura, o que dá o nome do subfilo (etimologicamente falando, o prefixo “crusta” significa pele grossa/casca dura). Esta couraça é feita de proteína, quitina e carbonatos, especialmente o de cálcio. E por falar na carapaça, é interessante pensar como eles crescem, já que vivem aprisionados nesse invólucro tão rígido. Para tal, possuem o fenômeno de ecdise, que é a troca de carapaça (exoesqueleto) – muitos chamam apenas de “muda”. O processo se resume na separação da camada epidérmica em duas, sendo que a interna secreta enzimas que enfraquecerão a mais externa, digerindo-a. Esse processo não danifica o sistema nervoso ou muscular, e cria uma fina e maleável nova veste. A armadura racha e o animal mole injeta água no corpo aumentando-o e proporcionando a saída da roupa velha; depois de ter completado esta etapa, começa a recompor seu corpo, expelindo a água e criando tecidos verdadeiros. Vídeo e texto @lasarohenrique #biologiaporamor #crustacea #muda #ecdise #exuvia #ecdisona #artrophoda #porummundomelhor #porummundodeautoconhecimento #foconoobjetivo #vamostodosficarbem #muitabiodiversidade #biology #biologo #biologia #natureza #ecdise #biologosnarede https://www.instagram.com/p/CTnYXyXg5CI/?utm_medium=tumblr

#biologiaporamor #crustacea #muda #ecdise #exuvia #ecdisona #artrophoda #porummundomelhor #porummundodeautoconhecimento #foconoobjetivo #vamostodosficarbem #muitabiodiversidade #biology #biologo #biologia #natureza #biologosnarede

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f107group1 · 3 years

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Let’s KRILL this love!

Did you know that Antarctic Krill can glow in the dark (like a lightstick *0*)?

They are bioluminescent! That means krill swarms look like a KPOP ocean!

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Subkingdom: Bilateria

Infrakingdom: Protostomia

Superphylum: Ecdysozoa

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Malacostraca

Subclass: Eumalacostraca

Order: Euphausiacea

Family: Euphausiidae

Genus: Euphausia

Species: Euphausia superba

(ITIS, n.d.)

Distribution and habitat

Figure 1. Geographical Distribution of Antarctic krill (fao.org, n,d,)

E. superba inhabits a wide circumpolar belt between the Antarctic Continental Shelf break and the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone. Antarctic krill live in open marine waters (fao.org, n.d.). The larvae of the krill begin near the seafloor and gradually ascend towards the surface as it develops. Adult krills are found at depths ranging from surface waters to depths of 350 m and have occasionally been found as deep as 600 m. They usually dwell in deeper waters during the winter season (Gierak, n.d.).

Anatomy

Figure 2. External Anatomy of Antarctic Krill

E. superba known as Antarctic krills are shrimp-like in appearance though they can easily be distinguished from shrimp by their visible gills. Just like any other decapods they have exoskeleton which are made of chitin and have three body parts which is the cephalothorax, pleon and the telson. The cephalothorax bears the antennae, compound eye, 6 filter legs which are also called thoracopods and the gills. Krills have compound eyes which aid them in seeing while their antennae serve as another sensory organ as they live in the deep. The thoracopods or the filter legs on the other hand, assists the krill in straining its food from the water. Although the gills, guts and gastric mill are not part of its external anatomy, the three are visible from the outside. The middle part of its body is the pleon where the pleopods and the photophores are located. There are 5 pairs of pleopods or swimming legs that allow them to swim in the water column while the photophores or light organs act as a defense mechanism or a signal for their mates. Lastly, is the telson which is used by decapods as a paddle in caridoid escape reactions through backward propulsion (Grzimek's Student Animal Life Resource, n.d.).

Life Cycle

Figure 3. Life Cycle of an Antarctic Krills Krills reproduce sexually and it usually happens when food is abundant. The male krill produces sperm packets and uses its first pair of pleopods called petasma to transfer the sperm into the thelycum of the female. They store the sperm until they are ready to lay their eggs. These eggs are fertilized once they are released by the female. These eggs settle at the seafloor and gastrulation happens. Eventually, the eggs will hatch and become a nauplius. In this the nauplius has only one eye and is not segmented yet. Then, the nauplius will molt and become a metanauplius wherein limb development begins and it will start to migrate to the surface which is known as developmental ascent. As it molts and grows, it becomes a calyptopis and eventually a furcilia wherein the movable compound eyes start to project at the edge of its carapace. The furcilia develops into a juvenile which can grow from 4 to 10 mm long (Gierak, 2013).

Ecology

Figure 4. Thoracic endopodite of krill (wikipedia.org, n.d.)

Antarctic krill are filter-feeders that feed mainly on phytoplankton. They exhibit diurnal vertical migration, which means that they rise to the surface at night to feed by using their small, hair-like legs specifically thoracic endopodites as a suspension feeding basket. Apart from phytoplankton, they also eat copepods, zooplankton, and other krill or molted exoskeletons. In the winter, they eat algae under the surface of sea ice. They are considered the dominant herbivore of the Southern Ocean. Its biomass in the Antarctic Ocean is estimated to be between 125 mmt and 750 mmt, the largest biomass of any species on earth (Hardy, 2008). Antarctic krill is the keystone species of the entire Antarctic food chain. They provide a vital food source for whales, seals, squids, penguins, fishes, albatrosses, and many other species of birds. To avoid predation, they exhibit schooling behavior or swarming. Moreover, krill may be parasitized by organisms like protozoans, particularly the genus Ephelota. This suctorian ciliates interacting with E. superba cause hydrodynamic drag on krill swimming and make the host more vulnerable to visual predators (Gómez-Gutiérrez & Morales-Ávila, 2016). Other parasitic species include Cephaloidophora pacifica and Apostoma sp.

UNLI-KRILL @ 199!

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Krill’s POV

Relationship with humans

Figure 5. Sports Research’s Antarctic Krill Oil with SUPERBA 2 (ph.iherb.com, n.d.)

Figure 6. Krill/shrimp chili paste and dipping assortments in Thailand (quora.com, 2016)

Although krill is mainly used as aquaculture feed and bait for fishing, it is also processed into a variety of products for human consumption such as paste, frozen tails, sticks, etc. Krill products have been known to pharmaceutical and industrial industries since it is found that the krill's lipid content can be used as a nutritional source of fatty acids that is potential in lowering cholesterol levels. Studies found that the lipids of Antarctic krill are more stable than those of some fishes consumed by humans. Krill digestive proteases can also be injected into humans to reduce pressure on nerve roots between vertebral discs (Gierak, n.d.). Tou et al. describe Antarctic krill as a “rich source of high-quality protein” with low fat and high levels of Omega-3s and antioxidants and the main source of the renowned krill oil.

5 health benefits of Krill oil you shouldn’t miss!

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Little did you know that..

They are age-defying!

*jaw-dropping moment because olay age-defying serum just cant--*

➔ They have the ability to shrink in size when starve to conserve energy during the winter. Thus, scientists can’t tell the age of a krill solely from its size.

Phytoplankton is just a summer fling!

➔ They can survive more than 200 days without food.

Krillions of krills!

➔ Krill swarm together in massive numbers, with as many as 30,000 in one cubic meter of a krill swarm.

A Little Giant!

➔ It’s estimated that the total weight of Antarctic krill is more than the weight of all humans on Earth (Usoceangov, 2015).

Food is life but swimming is lifer!

➔ They are heavier than seawater and must swim constantly to stay afloat.

Climate heroes!

➔ Tarling and Thorpe (2017) have discovered that krill play a crucial role in sequestering carbon.

References:

Clark, D. (2012, September 17). The anatomy of the Arctic krill [Digital image]. Retrieved November 12, 2020, from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7NY88MHBVpc/UFfn-sAknuI/AAAAAAAAAW4/nkt1_Ba8G8k/s1600/Antarctic_krill_anatomy.jpg

Euphausia superba. (n.d.). ITIS. Retrieved November 8, 2020, from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=95514#null

Euphausia superba (Dana, 1852). (n.d.). FAO. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/3393/en

Exuvia of Antarctic krill [Online image]. (2005). English Wikipedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exuviakrillkils.jpg

Gierak, R. (2013). Euphausia superba (Antarctic krill). Retrieved November 12, 2020, from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Euphausia_superba/

Gómez-Gutiérrez, J., & Morales-Ávila, J. R. (2016). Parasites and Diseases. Biology and Ecology of Antarctic Krill, 351–386. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29279-3_10

Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. (2020). Krill: Euphausiacea. Retrieved November 12, 2020, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/krill-euphausiacea

Hardy, R. W. (2008). Alternative marine sources of fish feed and farmed fish quality. Improving Farmed Fish Quality and Safety, 328–342. https://doi.org/10.1533/9781845694920.2.328

Naruturd_505. (n.d.). Hoshiumi Korai A Little Giant GIF [Online GIF]. https://tenor.com/view/hoshiumi-korai-alittle-giant-smile-haikyuu-anime-gif-17909731

Oh, yeah- what?! GIF. (2013). Gfycat. https://gfycat.com/detailedfaintalbertosaurus

SuperSmiles17. (2013). Definitely one in a Krillion! [Online GIF]. https://imgur.com/gallery/YtN30/comment/16282449

Tarling, G.A., and Thorpe, S.E. (2017). Oceanic swarms of Antarctic krill perform satiation sinking. Proc. R. Soc. B., 28420172015. http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2015

The Ozone Hole. (n.d.). [Life Cycle of Antarctic Krill]. Retrieved November 12, 2020, from http://www.theozonehole.org/images/v43n2-wiebe3en_10243.jpg

[Untitled image of a tardigrade]. (2017). BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40752669

Usoceangov. (2015). Animals of the Ice - Antarctic Krill. Youtube. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFqhocQqbgM

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f107group3 · 3 years

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Opposum Shrimp

I. Animalia

II. Bilateria

III. Protostomia

IV. Ecdysozoa

V. Arthropoda

VI. Crustacea

VII. Malacostraca

VIII. Eumalacostraca

IX. Peracarida

X. Mysida

XI. Mysis

XII. relicta

(Taken from: Integrated Taxonomic Information System, 2005)

The Opossum Shrimp (Mysida)

Their common name opossum shrimp comes from the presence of brood pouch in females, where they carry their larvae which are not free-swimming. This crustacean is like the kangaroo of the sea!

That’s a Mysid!

The cosmopolitans

They can be found in many types of aquatic environment, in freshwater and marine, deep sea, shallow coastal waters, lakes, rivers and underground waters. Mysids are utilized commercially in Japan, Southeast Asia, China and Korea, and can be found in different marine habitats such as Pelagic, Coastal and estuarine. Worldwide, there are 160 genera and over 1000 described species. (Porter 2016; Jones 2003)

Map of stations in Southeast Asia where Mysid specimens were recorded (Sawamoto 2013)

Life Cycle

Mysid Shrimp have mechanisms that help them in mating. In some species, receptive females release pheromones in the water to attract males. Mating takes place during copulation at night, where males deposit their sperm inside the brood pouch of a female. After mating, eggs are also deposited in the brood pouch and are fertilized. Depending on the species and water temperature, females brood the eggs that take weeks to several months to hatch. Young mysids are not released until they turn into well-developed juveniles.. Mysis relicta, one of the most studied mysid shrimp found in freshwater lakes, have a 1 to 2 year life cycle depending on the productivity of the lake. Eggs of Mysis hatch into fully developed young after 3-4 months. Typical lengths are observed in each stage or instar: I – 4.5 mm, II – 9 mm, III – 12 mm, IV – 16 mm. At stage IV, individuals reach sexual maturity. Some females have a fifth instar or stage, but males do not have. Fifth instar females have 22 mm total length. (Rudstam 2009)

Anatomy

Mysids are generally small and transparent crustaceans, ranging from about 6 to 350 mm in length, where the length of the majority of species is less than 25 mm. They have a pair of stalked eyes and two pairs of antennae on their head fused with up to four of the thoracic segments, and covered with a well-developed carapace. One of their distinct characteristics is the number of their thoracic appendages, where they have six to eight. Their pereopods are biramous or separated into two branches. Also, they have a distinctive pair of statocyst located in their tail fan or uropods. Statocyst is a sac-like organ that helps them maintain their balance and provide a sense on how they can orient themselves in their environment. Their common name Opossum Shrimp comes from their distinct characteristic or feature, having a marsupium or brood pouch. This is where the Mysids keep their eggs until they hatch and are released after reaching an early juvenile stage of development. The marsupium is a chamber formed by lamellae or oostegites on all or some of the second to eighth pairs of thoracic legs. (Lenihan 2017)

Photo from “Mysid (Americamysis bahia) Survival, Growth, and Fecundity Toxicity Tests” (EPA 2009)

Ecology

Mysids are present in almost all types of aquatic environment and are filter feeders and generally classified as omnivores, feeding on algae, detritus and zooplankton. They are very important in maintaining the balance of the aquatic ecosystem. Many fish and several species rely primarily on Mysids as their food. Mysids are rich in essential fatty acids that help in the survival of fishes. In cold regions, Mysids are a source of Polyunsaturated fatty acids that are important for fishes to have over-winter survival. Their abundance can form large shoals making them an important diet of several fish. Species like the Mysis relicta were introduced in the Kootenay lake in Canada, and it increased the growth rate and population of kokanee salmon. (Rudstam, 2009)

Sensitivity with a purpose

Mysids are very sensitive to a wide variety of contaminants. They are good indicators of harmful substances in the water. They are used as test organisms in monitoring the water quality. They are great help in wastewater management and ensuring a good quality of water in the estuarine and coastal areas since this is used in several water quality tests like the Mysid (Americamysis bahia) Survival, Growth, and Fecundity Toxicity Tests. This test is used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate effluents in terms of its toxicity to biota and their impact on the natural environment. (Anderson et al. 2016; EPA 2009)

Relationship with humans

Mysids are very important especially in the aquaculture industry. They are used as food for different species of fish and a good source of nutrients for fishes being cultured like trout in the lakes of North America and Europe. Some species of Mysid are utilized as ingredients for fermented fish products. Shousuru is a Japanese fish sauce produced from fish meat added to 10% mysid, where the shrimp and mysid are used to color the sauce. (Ohshima et al. 2014)

Fun Facts

Little Cannibals

Mysids have cannibalistic behavior, where some eat weaker individuals. In fact, some parents may eat some of their babies!

Bloody Hell!

Hemimysis anomala or bloody-red shrimp is a species of Mysid Shrimp that can form reddish swarms in the shadows of piers and boats. They can spread and multiply rapidly and are considered “high-risks” for invasion of inland lakes in the US.

Invasion! Tragic Honeymoon

After mating, male Mysid (Mysis relicta) dies and the female lives for several months. A little sacrifice for the next generation.

References:

NOAA. n.d. Great Lakes New Invader: Bloody Red Shrimp (Hemimysis anomala). GLANSIS. Rretrieved from: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/Programs/glansis/hemi_brochure.html#:~:text=Mysids%20are%20often%20called%20opossum,larger%20shrimps%20and%20other%20decapods.

Sawamoto, Shozo. 2013. Current Status of Mysid Taxonomy in Southeast Asia. Researchgate.net. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307791935_CURRENT_STATUS_OF_MYSID_TAXONOMYIN_SOUTHEAST_ASIA

Rudstam, L.G. 2009. Other Zooplankton. Encyclopedia of Inland Waters. Science Direct. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/mysis

Anderson B., Philips B. 2016. Saltwater Toxicity Test. Science Direct. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/mysida

Jones, D.A. 2003. Characteristics of Crustacea. Science Direct. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/mysida

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10 notes · View notes