Effects of Eyestalk Ablation on the Embryogenesis of Spider Crab, Libinia emarginata

Spider crabs, Libinia emarginata, were eyestalk-ablated unilaterally and bilaterally to manipulate endogenous methyl farnesoate (MF) to increase during the embryogenesis. Endogenous MF were measured weekly over the embryogenesis of the crab, using HPLC with the aids of GC/MS and MS database (CAS 010485-70-8) for the identification of the hormone. Initial MF titers both in the hemolymph and embryos of intact control were at bottom levels and the hormone concentrations kept unchanged (p<0.05), reflecting physiological unnecessaries of the hormone in the embryogenesis. Eyestalk ablation significantly stimulated the crabs to increase endogenous MF in both tissues (p<0.0l). In the response of the embryos to the increased MF, no growth stimulations were observed, at least, in the first part of embryogenesis. The increased mortalities and immature sheddings of embryos resulted from the crabs under the influence of elevated MF in both tissues, instead, suggesting that the elevated MF against the crab's requirement blocked the normal developmental process of the crab embryos. These data can give crustacean endocrinologists some insights to understand the effects of the hormone on the crustacean reproduction studied previously in which JH analogs ambiguously affected the crustacean reproduction depending on the reproductive stages. The data also can give shrimp aquaculturists some implication of a possible generation of unfavorable shrimp seeds attributed to elevated egg MF originated from their eyestalk-ablated mother shrimp.