Regeneration in larvae and juveniles of the mud crab,Rhithropanopeus harrisii

✍ Scribed by McConaugha, John R. ;Costlow, John D.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1980
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 585 KB
• Volume: 213
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1402130212

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Both the megalopa and juvenile stages of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii were shown to have regenerative abilities following limb autotomy. The number of individual crabs initiating regeneration was directly dependent on the number of limbs autotomized and the stage of the molt cycle when autotomy occurred. The number of individuals undergoing regeneration and the proportion of the molt cycle when regeneration could be induced increased in later stages. Regeneration was associated with a significant delay in the molt cycle, while non‐regenerating individuals displayed a trend toward an accelerated molt cycle. The duration of the delay was independent of the number of limbs lost. It is hypothesized that this delay is due to an inhibition of ecdysone synthesis. This results in resetting the molt cycle to the intermolt or premolt stage.