Feeding ethology and histo-morphological analysis of gut and stomach in the freshwater crab Spiralothelphusa hydrodroma
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71336/jabs.1419Keywords:
Aquaculture, Freshwater crab, S. hydrodroma, Ethology, Diet preferencesAbstract
Feeding ethology and dietary preferences were studied in S. hydrodroma, a freshwater crab collected from Southern region of India. Oral appendage morphology, histological analysis of gut and stomach were also carried out accordingly. After offering a series of foodstuffs to isolated male and female crabs, the crabs were found to be herbivore-biased omnivore, under laboratory conditions. Male crabs preferred 54% of egg white and female crabs preferred 35% of commercial fish feed. Food ingestion behavior was carefully recorded and represented. Feeding behavior involved the use of mouth appendages, 1st and 2nd pereiopods. Particles were trapped by the dense setation of the 2nd and 3rd maxillipeds and ingested. Histology of gut and stomach reveals the presence of mucosa, goblet cells, gastric glands, gastric pits, lamina propria and its structural adaptations depend upon its unique environment and the feeding behavior.
References
Chetia, A., Tripathi. A., Borbora, D., Das, D. N. (2022): Diversity of freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) in the Subansiri river basin of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, northeast India. Journal of Applied and Natural Science 14(3): 921-930.
https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v14i3.3524 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v14i3.3524
Pati, S. K., Pradhan, R. N. (2020): An overview of the freshwater crabs (Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) of the Western Ghats, India. Oceanography and Fishseries 12(3):555836. https://doi.org/10.19080/OFOAJ.2020.12.555836 DOI: https://doi.org/10.19080/OFOAJ.2020.12.555836
Pati, S. K., Dev Roy, M. K., Sharma, R. M. (2012): Freshwater crabs. Checklist of Indian fauna, Zoological Survey of India. http://zsi.gov.in/checklist/freshwater crabs
Cumberlidge, N. (2016): Global diversity and conservation of freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura). In: Kawai, T., Cumberlidge, N. (eds.) A global overview of the conservation of freshwater Decapod crustaceans-Springer, Switzerland, pp.430.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42527-6_1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42527-6_1
Štrus, J., Žnidaršič, N., Mrak, P., Bogataj, U., Vogt, G. (2019): Structure, function and development of the digestive system in malacostracan crustaceans and adaptation to different lifestyles. Cell and Tissue Research 377:415-443. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-019-03056-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-019-03056-0
Castejón, D., Rotllant, G., Ribes, E., Durfort, M., Guerao, G. (2021): Description of the larval and adult hindgut tract of the common spider crab Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922 (Brachyura, Decapoda, Malacostraca). Cell and Tissue Research 384:703-720. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-021-03446-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-021-03446-3
Nielsen, B.L., De Jong, I.C., De Vries, T.J. (2016): The use of feeding behaviour in the assessment of animal welfare. In: Phillips, C. (ed.) Nutrition and the Welfare of Farm Animals. Animal welfare-springer, Cham, Vol: 60. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27356-3_4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27356-3_4
Aaqillah-Amr, M.A., Hidir, A., Noordiyana, M.N., Ikhwanuddin, M. (2018): Morphological, biochemical and histological analysis of mud crab ovary and hepatopancreas at different stages of development. Animal Reproduction Science 195:274-283.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2018.06.005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2018.06.005
Castejón, D., Rotllant, G., Ribes, E., Guerao, G. (2022): Morphological description of the midgut tract and midgut-hindgut junction in the larvae of the spider crab Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922 (Malacostraca: Decapoda). Arthropod Structure and Development 70:101168. PMid:35839738 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2022.101168 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2022.101168
Martins, G. F., Neves, C. A., Campos, L. A. O., Serrão, J. E. (2006). The regenerative cells during the metamorphosis in the midgut of bees, Micron 37(2):161-168. PMid:16168658 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2005.07.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2005.07.003
Øverland, M., Sørensen, M., Storebakken, T., Penn, M., Krogdahl, A., Skrede, A. (2009): Pea protein concentrate substituting fish meal or soybean meal in diets for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)-effect on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass composition, gut health, and physical feed quality. Aquaculture 288 (3-4):305-311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2008.12.012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2008.12.012
Valdes, A. M., Walter, J., Segal, E., & Spector, T. D. (2018): Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ 361:k2179.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k2179 PMid:29899036 PMCid:PMC6000740 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k2179
Jiao, F., Zhang, L., Limbu, S. M., Yin, H., Xie, Y., Yang, Z., Shang, Z., Kong, L., Rong, H. (2023): A comparison of digestive strategies for fishes with different feeding habits: Digestive enzyme activities, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota. Ecology and Evolution 13:e10499. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10499 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10499
Archdale, M. V., Anraku, K. (2005): Feeding behavior in scyphozoa, crustacea and cephalopoda. Chemical Senses 30 (1):303-304.
https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjh235 PMid:15738170 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjh235
Prado, P., Ibáñez, C., Chen, L., Caiola, N. (2022): Feeding habits and short-term mobility patterns of blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, across invaded habitats of the Ebro Delta subjected to contrasting salinity. Estuaries and Coasts 45:839-855. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-01004-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-01004-2
Borlongan, I. G., Coloso, R. M., Golez, N. V. (2002): Feeding habits and digestive physiology of fishes. In: Millamena, O. M., Coloso, R. M., Pascual, F. P. (eds.) Nutrition in Tropical Aquaculture: Essentials of fish nutrition, feeds, and feeding of tropical aquatic species-Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines: Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center pp.77-97. https://repository.seafdec.org.ph/handle/10862/3316
De Jong, L. (1996): Functional morphology of the foregut of Lophogaster typicus and L. spinosus (Crustacea, Mysidacea, Lophogastrida). Cahiers de Biologie Marine 37:341-347. https://zenodo.org/record/6074668
Barlow, B. C, Rodgers L, Palmer P, Longhurst C. (1993): Feeding habits of hatchery-reared barramundi Lates calcarifer (Bloch) fry. Aquaculture 109:131-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(93)90210-P DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(93)90210-P
Vogt, G., (1987): Monitoring of environmental pollutants such as pesticides in prawn aquaculture by histological diagnosis. Aquaculture 67:157-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(87)90021-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(87)90021-4
Kennish, R., Williams, G. A., Lee, S. Y. (1996): Algal seasonality on exposed rocky shore in Hong Kong and the dietary implications for the herbivorous crab Grapsus albolineatus. Marine Biology 125:55-64. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00350760 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00350760
Coen, I. D. (1988): Herbivory by Caribbean majid crabs: Feeding ecology and plant susceptibility. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 122:257-276. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(88)90127-X DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(88)90127-X
Choy, S. C. (1986): Natural diet and feeding habits of the crabs Liocarcinus puber and L. holsatus (Decapoda, Brachyura, Portunidae). Marine Ecology Progress Series 31:87-99. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps031087 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps031087
APHA (2017): Standard methods. In: Baird, B. R., Eaton, D. A., Rice, W. E. (eds.) 23rd Edition. American Public Health Association, (APHA), Washington, USA. https://www.standardmethods.org/
Luna, L. G. (1968): Manual of histologic staining methods of the armed forces institute Pathology. McGraw-Hill, Inc., (3rd edition). New York pp.258.https://ia800403.us.archive.org/0/items/ManualHistologicalStaining/Manual%20Histological%20Staining.pdf
Zar, H. J. (2009): Biostatistical analysis (5th edition). Prentice Hall. https://bayesmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jerrold-H.-Zar-Biostatistical-Analysis-5th-Edition-Prentice-Hall-2009.pdf
Omondi, R., Yasindi, A. W., Magana, A. M. (2011): Spatial and temporal variations of zooplankton in relation to some environmental factors in lake Baringo, Kenya. Egerton Journal of Science and technology 11:29-50.
Linton, S. M., Greenaway, P. (2007): A review of feeding and nutrition of herbivorous land crabs: adaptations to low quality plant diets. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 177:269-286. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-006-0138-z PMid:17279390 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-006-0138-z
Newman, S.J., Smith., S.A. (2021): Histological characterization of the gastrointestinal tract of the adult horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) with special reference to the stomach. Cell and Tissue Research 383: 949-957. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-020-03404-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-020-03404-5
Schram, F. R., Castro, P. (2015): Introduction to Brachyura. In: Castro, P., Davie, P.J.F., Guinot, D.,Schram, F.R., Von Vaupel Klein, J.C. (eds.) Decapoda: Brachyura, Treatise on Zoology-Anatomy, Taxonomy, Biology, vol. 9C-I, Brill, Leiden and Boston pp.638. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004190832 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004190832_003
Davis, D. T. (1985): The food of barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch), in coastal and inland waters of Van Diemen Gulf and the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia. Fish Biology 26:669-682. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1985.tb04307.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1985.tb04307.x
Menin E, Mimura O. (1992): Comparative functional anatomy of three species of fish food habit of teleostei omnivore. Revista Ceres pp.223-260. https://www.ceres.ufv.br/
Spitzner, F.P., Meth, R., Krüger, C., Nischik, E., Eiler, S.M., Sombke, A., Torres, G., Harzsch, S. (2018): An atlas of larval organogenesis in the European shore crab Carcinus maenas L. (Decapoda, Brachyura, Portunidae). Frontiers in Zoology 15(1):27.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-018-0271-z PMid:29989069 PMCid:PMC6035453 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-018-0271-z
Ruiz, T. F. R., Vidal, M.R., Ribeiro, K., Vicentini, C. A., Vicentini, I. B. F. (2020): Histology of the hepatopancreas and anterior intestine in the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium carcinus (Crustacea, Decapoda). Nauplius 28:1-12. https://doi.org/10.1590/2358-2936e2020023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/2358-2936e2020023
Wolcott, D. L., O'Connor, N. J. (1992): Herbivory in crabs: adaptation and ecological consideration. American Zoologist 32:370-381.
https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/32.3.370 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/32.3.370
Nesakumari, S. A. C., Thirunavukkarasu, N. (2014): Food and feeding behavior of mud crab Scylla tranquebarica (FABRICIUS, 1798). Indian Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Research 43(3):229-235. https://agris.fao.org/search/en/records/66d9b980f995ef9c042598e5
Banrie (2013): Principle of fish nutrition, the fish site, Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC). https://thefishsite.com/articles/principles-of-fish-nutrition
Thomas, W. J. (2009): The setae of Austropotamobius pallipes (Crustacea: Astacidae). Journal of Zoology 160(1):91-142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1970.tb02899.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1970.tb02899.x
Garm, A., Hallberg, E., Hoeg J. T. (2003): Role of maxilla 2 and its setae during the feeding in the shrimp Palaemon adspersus (Crustacea: Decapoda). The Biological Bulletin 204:126-137. https://doi.org/10.2307/1543548 PMid:12700143 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1543548
Coelho, V. R. Rodrigues, S. A. (2001): Trophic behavior and functional morphology of the feeding appendages of the functional morphology of the feeding appendages of the laomediid shrimp Axianassa australis (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 81:441-454. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315401004076 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315401004076
Nickell, L. A., Atkinson, R. J. A., Pinn, E. H. (1998): Morphology of thalassinidean (Crustacea: Decapoda) mouthparts and pereiopods in relation to feeding, ecology and grooming. Journal of Natural History 32:733-761. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222939800770381 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00222939800770381
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Applied Biological Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
