| amount and metal composition of midgut gland metallothionein in shore crabs (carcinus maenas) after exposure to cadmium in the food. | accumulation of cadmium in aquatic invertebrates may compromise human food safety and anthropogenic additions of cadmium to coastal areas cause concern. induction of crustacean metallothionein has been suggested as a useful biomarker for contamination of the aquatic environment with cadmium. we investigated how exposure to low concentrations of cadmium in the food affects the subcellular binding of cadmium with the shore crab carcinus maenas as model organism. approximately 80% of the assimilate ... | 2014 | 24685622 |
| master of all trades: thermal acclimation and adaptation of cardiac function in a broadly distributed marine invasive species, the european green crab, carcinus maenas. | as global warming accelerates, there is increasing concern about how ecosystems may change as a result of species loss and replacement. here, we examined the thermal physiology of the european green crab (carcinus maenas linnaeus 1758), a globally invasive species, along three parallel thermal gradients in its native and invasive ranges. at each site, we assessed cardiac physiology to determine heat and cold tolerance and acclimatory plasticity. we found that, overall, the species is highly tole ... | 2014 | 24671964 |
| effect of meal type on specific dynamic action in the green shore crab, carcinus maenas. | the effect of meal type on specific dynamic action was investigated in the green shore crab, carcinus maenas. when the crabs were offered a meal of fish, shrimp, or mussel of 3 % of their body mass the duration of the sda response and thus the resultant sda was lower for the mussel, compared with the shrimp or fish meals. in feeding behaviour experiments the crabs consumed almost twice as much mussel compared with fish or shrimp. when the animals were allowed to feed on each meal until satiated, ... | 2014 | 24531572 |
| corrigendum to “persistent organic pollutants in the scheldt estuary: environmental distribution and bioaccumulation[environ. int. 48c (2012) 17–27]. | levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) and organochlorine pesticides (ocps) were determined in the sediment and in several species (european flounder,platichthys flesus; common sole, solea solea; chinese mitten crab,eriocheir sinensis; shore crab, carcinus maenas; brown shrimp,crangon crangon; blue mussel, mytilus edulis and bristle worms,polychaeta) from 7 locations in the scheldt estuary (se, the netherlands–belgium). overall pop levels in the sedime ... | 2014 | 24505601 |
| proteomic analysis in caged mediterranean crab (carcinus maenas) and chemical contaminant exposure in téboulba harbour, tunisia. | this study uses proteomics approach to assess the toxic effects of contaminants in the mediterranean crab (carcinus maenas) after transplantation into téboulba fishing harbour. high levels of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in sediments. although their effects on vertebrates are well described, little is known about their early biological effects in marine invertebrates under realistic conditions. protein expression profiles of crabs caged for 15, 30 and 60 days were compared t ... | 2014 | 24433786 |
| metals bioaccumulation and histopathological biomarkers in carcinus maenas crab from bizerta lagoon, tunisia. | metals concentrations and histolopathological lesions of gills and digestive gland were investigated in carcinus maenas crabs sampled from bizerta lagoon and kuriat island (tunisia) as control site. the concentrations of trace metals varied between tissues, sites and sampling time. the highest levels of the analysed metals in gills and digestive gland were noted in menzel bourguiba and cimentery sites at both sampling times (february and july). the higher metals loads were associated with severe ... | 2014 | 24323326 |
| comparison of protein-extraction methods for gills of the shore crab, carcinus maenas (l.), and application to 2de. | as it is well-established that protein extraction constitutes a crucial step for two-dimensional electrophoresis (2de), this work was done as a prerequisite to further the study of alterations in the proteome in gills of the shore crab carcinus maenas under contrasted environmental conditions. because of the presence of a chitin layer, shore crab gills have an unusual structure. consequently, they are considered as a hard tissue and represent a challenge for optimal protein extraction. in this s ... | 2013 | 24294114 |
| an invasive species facilitates the recovery of salt marsh ecosystems on cape cod. | with global increases in human impacts, invasive species have become a major threat to ecosystems worldwide. while they have been traditionally viewed as harmful, invasive species may facilitate the restoration of degraded ecosystems outside their native ranges. in new england (usa) overfishing has depleted salt marsh predators, allowing the herbivorous crab sesarma reticulatum to denude hundreds of hectares of low marsh. here, using multiple site surveys and field caging experiments, we show th ... | 2013 | 24279265 |
| mechanistic target of rapamycin (mtor) signaling genes in decapod crustaceans: cloning and tissue expression of mtor, akt, rheb, and p70 s6 kinase in the green crab, carcinus maenas, and blackback land crab, gecarcinus lateralis. | mechanistic target of rapamycin (mtor) controls global translation of mrna into protein by phosphorylating p70 s6 kinase (s6k) and eif4e-binding protein-1. akt and rheb, a gtp-binding protein, regulate mtor protein kinase activity. molting in crustaceans is regulated by ecdysteroids synthesized by a pair of molting glands, or y-organs (yos), located in the cephalothorax. during premolt, the yos hypertrophy and increase production of ecdysteroids. rapamycin (1μm) inhibited ecdysteroid secretion i ... | 2014 | 24269559 |
| molt regulation in green and red color morphs of the crab carcinus maenas: gene expression of molt-inhibiting hormone signaling components. | in decapod crustaceans, regulation of molting is controlled by the x-organ/sinus gland complex in the eyestalks. the complex secretes molt-inhibiting hormone (mih), which suppresses production of ecdysteroids by the y-organ (yo). mih signaling involves nitric oxide and cgmp in the yo, which expresses nitric oxide synthase (nos) and no-sensitive guanylyl cyclase (gc-i). molting can generally be induced by eyestalk ablation (esa), which removes the primary source of mih, or by multiple leg autotom ... | 2014 | 24198255 |
| involvement of the antioxidant system in differential sensitivity of carcinus maenas to fenitrothion exposure. | carcinus maenas is an invertebrate with worldwide distribution and high ability to adapt to different environments, which is frequently used in environmental monitoring. despite this, it is not clear how historical exposure to moderate contamination may influence sensitivity to further chemical stress in this important decapod species. this study investigated differential responses to organophosphate fenitrothion of c. maenas from a moderately contaminated estuary and a low impacted one, using i ... | 2013 | 24056931 |
| haplosporidium littoralis sp. nov.: a crustacean pathogen within the haplosporida (cercozoa, ascetosporea). | previously, we described the pathology and ultrastructure of an apparently asporous haplosporidian-like parasite infecting the common shore crab carcinus maenas from the european shoreline. in the current study, extraction of genomic dna from the haemolymph, gill or hepatopancreas of infected c. maenas was carried out and the small subunit ribosomal dna (ssu rdna) of the pathogen was amplified by pcr before cloning and sequencing. all 4 crabs yielded an identical 1736 bp parasite sequence. blast ... | 2013 | 23999708 |
| linking individual diet variation and fecundity in an omnivorous marine consumer. | individual diet variation is a common feature of populations. this variation may be particularly common in near-shore marine benthic habitats where omnivory is prevalent and prey availability is spatially variable. accurately predicting population responses to anthropogenic change that is occurring rapidly in these systems requires a quantitative link between individual diet variation and fecundity. here i develop this quantitative link for the european green crab carcinus maenas, specifically f ... | 2014 | 23996228 |
| early responses measured in the brachyuran crab carcinus maenas exposed to carbamazepine and novobiocin: application of a 2-tier approach. | one of the main consequences of the constant input of pharmaceuticals to the aquatic environment is that biota might develop unknown chronic effects, thus affecting their health even at low concentrations. the aim of this study is to evaluate the health status of carcinus maenas employing a 2-tier approach, after 28 days of exposure to carbamazepine (cbz) and novobiocin (nov) at 0.1, 1, 10 and 50µgl(-1). lysosomal membrane stability (lms) is employed in tier 1. in tier 2 was applied a battery of ... | 2013 | 23916015 |
| novel sheathless ce-ms interface as an original and powerful infusion platform for nanoesi study: from intact proteins to high molecular mass noncovalent complexes. | development of nano-electrospray (nanoesi) sources allowed to increase significantly the sensitivity which is often lacking when studying biological noncovalent assemblies. however, the flow rate used to infuse the sample into the mass spectrometer cannot be precisely controlled with nanoesi and the robustness of the system could represent an issue. in this study, we have used a sheathless capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (cesi) prototype as a nanoesi infusion device. the hydrodynamic ... | 2014 | 23881366 |
| a role for haemolymph oxygen capacity in heat tolerance of eurythermal crabs. | heat tolerance in aquatic ectotherms is constrained by a mismatch, occurring at high temperatures, between oxygen delivery and demand which compromises the maintenance of aerobic scope. the present study analyses how the wide thermal tolerance range of an eurythermal model species, the green crab carcinus maenas is supported and limited by its ability to sustain efficient oxygen transport to tissues. similar to other eurytherms, c. maenas sustains naturally occurring acute warming events through ... | 2013 | 23720633 |
| microtopography of the eye surface of the crab carcinus maenas: an atomic force microscope study suggesting a possible antifouling potential. | marine biofouling causes problems for technologies based on the sea, including ships, power plants and marine sensors. several antifouling techniques have been applied to marine sensors, but most of these methodologies are environmentally unfriendly or ineffective. bioinspiration, seeking guidance from natural solutions, is a promising approach to antifouling. here, the eye of the green crab carcinus maenas was regarded as a marine sensor model and its surface characterized by means of atomic fo ... | 2013 | 23635491 |
| biological impacts of enhanced alkalinity in carcinus maenas. | further steps are needed to establish feasible alleviation strategies that are able to reduce the impacts of ocean acidification, whilst ensuring minimal biological side-effects in the process. whilst there is a growing body of literature on the biological impacts of many other carbon dioxide reduction techniques, seemingly little is known about enhanced alkalinity. for this reason, we investigated the potential physiological impacts of using chemical sequestration as an alleviation strategy. in ... | 2013 | 23602261 |
| identification of biomarkers responsive to chronic exposure to pharmaceuticals in target tissues of carcinus maenas. | a 28-day bioassay was performed with carcinus maenas to evaluate chronic effects caused by exposure to caffeine and ibuprofen (0.1-50 μg l(-1)) in sea water. lysosomal membrane stability (lms) was evaluated in hemolymph applying the neutral red retention assay (nrra); several biomarkers including ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (erod), dibenzylfluorescein dealkylase (dbf), glutathione s-transferase (gst), glutathione peroxidase (gpx), lipid peroxidation (lpo) and dna damage were studied in gill, he ... | 2015 | 23562135 |
| size-dependent physiological responses of shore crabs to single and repeated playback of ship noise. | anthropogenic noise has fundamentally changed the acoustics of terrestrial and aquatic environments, and there is growing empirical evidence that even a single noise exposure can affect behaviour in a variety of vertebrate organisms. here, we use controlled experiments to investigate how the physiology of a marine invertebrate, the shore crab (carcinus maenas), is affected by both single and repeated exposure to ship-noise playback. crabs experiencing ship-noise playback consumed more oxygen, in ... | 2013 | 23445945 |
| trophic level transfer of microplastic: mytilus edulis (l.) to carcinus maenas (l.). | this study investigated the trophic transfer of microplastic from mussels to crabs. mussels (mytilus edulis) were exposed to 0.5 μm fluorescent polystyrene microspheres, then fed to crabs (carcinus maenas). tissue samples were then taken at intervals up to 21 days. the number of microspheres in the haemolymph of the crabs was highest at 24 h (15 033 ml(-1) ± se 3146), and was almost gone after 21 days (267 ml(-1) ± se 120). the maximum amount of microspheres in the haemolymph was 0.04% of the am ... | 2013 | 23434827 |
| shock avoidance by discrimination learning in the shore crab (carcinus maenas) is consistent with a key criterion for pain. | nociception allows for immediate reflex withdrawal whereas pain allows for longer-term protection via rapid learning. we examine here whether shore crabs placed within a brightly lit chamber learn to avoid one of two dark shelters when that shelter consistently results in shock. crabs were randomly selected to receive shock or not prior to making their first choice and were tested again over 10 trials. those that received shock in trial 2, irrespective of shock in trial 1, were more likely to sw ... | 2013 | 23325857 |
| trading green backs for green crabs: evaluating the commercial shellfish harvest at risk from european green crab invasion. | nonnative species pose a threat to native biodiversity and can have immense impacts on biological communities, altering the function of ecosystems. how much value is at risk from high-impact invasive species, and which parameters determine variation in that value, constitutes critical knowledge for directing both management and research, but it is rarely available. we evaluated the value of the commercial shellfish harvest that is at risk in nearshore ecosystems of puget sound, washington state, ... | 2013 | 25408891 |
| bursicon and neuropeptide cascades during the ecdysis program of the shore crab, carcinus maenas. | very little is known regarding the release patterns of neuropeptides involved in ecdysis of crustaceans compared to insects. in particular, the dynamics of release of the insect cuticle hardening hormone bursicon, which has only recently been discovered in crustaceans, is unknown. bursicon has not previously been identified as a circulating neurohormone in these animals. since patterns of release were likely to be ephemeral, bursicon, as well as two other neurohormones involved in the ecdysis pr ... | 2013 | 23247273 |
| exposure of carcinus maenas to waterborne fluoranthene: accumulation and multibiomarker responses. | fluoranthene (flu) is a priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (pah) commonly detected in estuarine sediments, water and biota. despite this, information on flu detection, accumulation and effects on marine crustaceans is scarce. this work investigated the accumulation of flu in carcinus maenas and the responses of several early-warning biomarkers after a 7-day laboratory exposure to five flu concentrations (2.56 to 100 μg l(-1)). after exposure to flu, sub-samples of the crabs' digestive glan ... | 2013 | 23220135 |
| stability of lysosomal membrane in carcinus maenas acts as a biomarker of exposure to pharmaceuticals. | the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is now a major concern given their potential adverse effects on organisms, particularly human beings. because the feeding style and habitat of the crab carcinus maenas make this species vulnerable to organic contaminants, it has been used previously in ecotoxicological studies. lysosomal membrane stability (lms) in crabs is a general indicator of cellular well-being and can be visualized by the neutral red retention (nrr) assay. lms in crab hemo ... | 2013 | 23132752 |
| differential acid-base regulation in various gills of the green crab carcinus maenas: effects of elevated environmental pco2. | euryhaline decapod crustaceans possess an efficient regulation apparatus located in the gill epithelia, providing a high adaptation potential to varying environmental abiotic conditions. even though many studies focussed on the osmoregulatory capacity of the gills, acid-base regulatory mechanisms have obtained much less attention. in the present study, underlying principles and effects of elevated pco(2) on acid-base regulatory patterns were investigated in the green crab carcinus maenas acclima ... | 2013 | 23022520 |
| climate-induced changes in bottom-up and top-down processes independently alter a marine ecosystem. | climate change has complex structural impacts on coastal ecosystems. global warming is linked to a widespread decline in body size, whereas increased flood frequency can amplify nutrient enrichment through enhanced run-off. altered population body-size structure represents a disruption in top-down control, whereas eutrophication embodies a change in bottom-up forcing. these processes are typically studied in isolation and little is known about their potential interactive effects. here, we presen ... | 2012 | 23007084 |
| biogeographic variation in behavioral and morphological responses to predation risk. | the expression of prey antipredator defenses is often related to ambient consumer pressure, and prey express greater defenses under intense consumer pressure. predation is generally greater at lower latitudes, and antipredator defenses often display a biogeographic pattern. predation pressure may also vary significantly between habitats within latitudes, making biogeographic patterns difficult to distinguish. furthermore, invasive predators may also influence the expression of prey defenses in e ... | 2013 | 23001623 |
| biochemical effects in crabs (carcinus maenas) and contamination levels in the bizerta lagoon: an integrated approach in biomonitoring of marine complex pollution. | the biochemical effects in carcinus maenas and contamination levels in seawater and sediments of bizerta lagoon (northeast of tunisia) were investigated. the levels of metals and hydrocarbons were higher in seawater and sediments in menzel bourguiba and cimentery in february and july than in the other sampling sites. differences among sites for glutathione s-transferase, catalase, acetylcholinesterase activities, and the content of lipid peroxidation and metallothioneins in two important organs ... | 2013 | 22976048 |
| hematodinium sp. and its bacteria-like endosymbiont in european brown shrimp (crangon crangon). | parasitic dinoflagellates of the genus hematodinium are significant pathogens affecting the global decapod crustacean fishery. despite this, considerable knowledge gaps exist regarding the life history of the pathogen in vivo, and the role of free living life stages in transmission to naïve hosts. | 2012 | 22958655 |
| persistent organic pollutants in the scheldt estuary: environmental distribution and bioaccumulation. | levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) and organochlorine pesticides (ocps) were determined in the sediment and several species (european flounder, platichthys flesus; common sole, solea solea; chinese mitten crab, eriocheir sinensis; shore crab, carcinus maenas; brown shrimp, crangon crangon; blue mussel, mytilus edulis and bristle worms, polychaeta) from 7 locations in the scheldt estuary (se, the netherlands-belgium). overall pop levels in the sedim ... | 2012 | 22832186 |
| elevated seawater levels of co(2) change the metabolic fingerprint of tissues and hemolymph from the green shore crab carcinus maenas. | carbon dioxide (co(2)) acts as a weak acid in water and the increasing level of co(2) in the atmosphere leads to ocean acidification. in addition, possible leakage from sub-seabed storage of anthropogenic co(2) may pose a threat to the marine environment. (1)h nmr spectroscopy was applied to extracts of hemolymph, gills and leg muscle from shore crabs (carcinus maenas) to examine the metabolic response to elevated levels of co(2). crabs were exposed to different levels of co(2)-acidified seawate ... | 2012 | 22763285 |
| model-derived dispersal pathways from multiple source populations explain variability of invertebrate larval supply. | predicting the spatial and temporal patterns of marine larval dispersal and supply is a challenging task due to the small size of the larvae and the variability of oceanographic processes. addressing this problem requires the use of novel approaches capable of capturing the inherent variability in the mechanisms involved. | 2012 | 22558225 |
| effect of nanomaterials on the compound action potential of the shore crab, carcinus maenas. | little is known about the effects of manufactured nanomaterials on the function of nerves. the experiment aimed to test the effects of three different nanomaterials (1 mg l⁻¹ of tio₂ nps, ag nps or swcnt) on the compound action potential of the shore crab (carcinus maenas) compared with an appropriate bulk powder or metal salt control (bulk tio₂ powder, agno₃ and carbon black respectively). in single action potential recordings, there were no effects of any of the nanomaterials on the peak ampli ... | 2013 | 22394242 |
| comparative brain architecture of the european shore crab carcinus maenas (brachyura) and the common hermit crab pagurus bernhardus (anomura) with notes on other marine hermit crabs. | the european shore crab carcinus maenas and the common hermit crab pagurus bernhardus are members of the sister taxa brachyura and anomura (together forming the taxon meiura) respectively. both species share similar coastal marine habitats and thus are confronted with similar environmental conditions. this study sets out to explore variations of general brain architecture of species that live in seemingly similar habitats but belong to different major malacostracan taxa and to understand possibl ... | 2012 | 22374330 |
| landscape of fear influences the relative importance of consumptive and nonconsumptive predator effects. | predators can initiate trophic cascades by consuming and/or scaring their prey. although both forms of predator effect can increase the overall abundance of prey's resources, nonconsumptive effects may be more important to the spatial and temporal distribution of resources because predation risk often determines where and when prey choose to forage. our experiment characterized temporal and spatial variation in the strength of consumptive and nonconsumptive predator effects in a rocky intertidal ... | 2011 | 22352165 |
| rheb, an activator of target of rapamycin, in the blackback land crab, gecarcinus lateralis: cloning and effects of molting and unweighting on expression in skeletal muscle. | molt-induced claw muscle atrophy in decapod crustaceans facilitates exuviation and is coordinated by ecdysteroid hormones. there is a 4-fold reduction in mass accompanied by remodeling of the contractile apparatus, which is associated with an 11-fold increase in myofibrillar protein synthesis by the end of the premolt period. loss of a walking limb or claw causes a loss of mass in the associated thoracic musculature; this unweighting atrophy occurs in intermolt and is ecdysteroid independent. my ... | 2012 | 22279066 |
| environmental quality assessment combining sediment metal levels, biomarkers and macrobenthic communities: application to the óbidos coastal lagoon (portugal). | macroinvertebrate benthic communities are one of the key biological components considered for the assessment of benthic integrity in the context of the water framework directive (wfd). however, under moderate contamination scenarios, the assessment of macrobenthic alterations at community level alone could be insufficient to discriminate the environmental quality of coastal and transitional waters. keeping this in view, sediment quality of moderately contaminated sites in a coastal lagoon (óbido ... | 2012 | 22193632 |
| effects of elevated seawater pco(2) on gene expression patterns in the gills of the green crab, carcinus maenas. | the green crab carcinus maenas is known for its high acclimation potential to varying environmental abiotic conditions. a high ability for ion and acid-base regulation is mainly based on an efficient regulation apparatus located in gill epithelia. however, at present it is neither known which ion transport proteins play a key role in the acid-base compensation response nor how gill epithelia respond to elevated seawater pco(2) as predicted for the future. in order to promote our understanding of ... | 2011 | 21978240 |
| asymmetric dispersal allows an upstream region to control population structure throughout a species' range. | in a single well-mixed population, equally abundant neutral alleles are equally likely to persist. however, in spatially complex populations structured by an asymmetric dispersal mechanism, such as a coastal population where larvae are predominantly moved downstream by currents, the eventual frequency of neutral haplotypes will depend on their initial spatial location. in our study of the progression of two spatially separate, genetically distinct introductions of the european green crab (carcin ... | 2011 | 21876126 |
| application of neutral red retention assay to caged clams (ruditapes decussatus) and crabs (carcinus maenas) in the assessment of dredged material. | dredged material management is a key issue for the protection of aquatic environments. the in situ approach using caged bioindicator species has been chosen lately as a new methodology for the assessment of dredged material. in a tier testing approach, neutral red retention (nrr) assay has been applied as a screening tool to detect adverse changes in health status associated with contamination. nevertheless, to authors' knowledge, little is known about the application and validation of this tech ... | 2012 | 21870173 |
| susceptibility to predation affects trait-mediated indirect interactions by reversing interspecific competition. | numerous studies indicate that the behavioral responses of prey to the presence of predators can have an important role in structuring assemblages through trait-mediated indirect interactions. few studies, however, have addressed how relative susceptibility to predation influences such interactions. here we examine the effect of chemical cues from the common shore crab carcinus maenas on the foraging behavior of two common intertidal gastropod molluscs. of the two model consumers studied, littor ... | 2011 | 21857993 |
| biochemical and locomotor responses of carcinus maenas exposed to the serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine. | the aim of this study was to assess the effects of the widely used anti-depressant fluoxetine on behaviour (locomotion), moulting, neuromuscular transmission, energy production and anti-oxidant defences' efficiency of the epibenthic crab carcinus maenas. crabs were individually exposed to fluoxetine concentrations for 7d. effects on locomotion were assessed at the end of the exposure using an open field test adapted to c. maenas in the present study. tissue samples were later collected to evalua ... | 2011 | 21745678 |
| molecular cloning and sequence of retinoid x receptor in the green crab carcinus maenas: a possible role in female reproduction. | retinoid x receptor (rxr) belongs to an ancient superfamily of nuclear hormone receptors, and plays an important role in reproduction of vertebrates. however, the reproductive role of rxr has not been clarified in crustaceans. in this investigation, we first report the cloning of two alternative splice variants of rxr cdna from green crab ovarian rna. rxr mrna levels were quantified in different vitellogenic stages of the crab hepatopancreas (hp) and ovary. the expression of rxr mrna relative to ... | 2011 | 21730047 |
| functions of duplicated genes encoding ccap receptors in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum. | crustacean cardioactive peptide (ccap) is a nonapeptide originally isolated from the shore crab, carcinus maenas, based on its cardioacceleratory activity. this peptide is highly conserved in insects and other arthropods. in insects ccap also has an essential role in ecdysis behavior. we previously identified two homologous genes, ccapr-1 and ccapr-2, encoding putative ccap receptors in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum. in contrast, some insects, including drosophila melanogaster, carry ... | 2011 | 21708161 |
| green crab (carcinus maenas) foraging efficiency reduced by fast flows. | predators can strongly influence prey populations and the structure and function of ecosystems, but these effects can be modified by environmental stress. for example, fluid velocity and turbulence can alter the impact of predators by limiting their environmental range and altering their foraging ability. we investigated how hydrodynamics affected the foraging behavior of the green crab (carcinus maenas), which is invading marine habitats throughout the world. high flow velocities are known to r ... | 2011 | 21687742 |
| social structure emerges via the interaction between local ecology and individual behaviour. | 1. the formation of groups is a fundamental aspect of social organization, but there are still many questions regarding how social structure emerges from individuals making non-random associations. 2. although food distribution and individual phenotypic traits are known to separately influence social organization, this is the first study, to our knowledge, experimentally linking them to demonstrate the importance of their interaction in the emergence of social structure. 3. using an experimental ... | 2012 | 21668891 |
| modeling the impacts of the european green crab on commercial shellfisheries. | coastal resource managers are often tasked with managing coastal ecosystems that are stressed by overexploitation, climate change, contaminants, and habitat loss, as well as biological invasions. therefore, managers increasingly need better economic data to help them prioritize their management strategies and distribute their increasingly limited resources to those strategies. despite frequent pronouncements about the substantial ecological and economic impacts of invasive species, there have be ... | 2011 | 21639054 |
| the ghost of social environments past: dominance relationships include current interactions and experience carried over from previous groups. | dominance hierarchies pervade animal societies. within a static social environment, in which group size and composition are unchanged, an individual's hierarchy rank results from intrinsic (e.g. body size) and extrinsic (e.g. previous experiences) factors. little is known, however, about how dominance relationships are formed and maintained when group size and composition are dynamic. using a fusion-fission protocol, we fused groups of previously isolated shore crabs (carcinus maenas) into large ... | 2011 | 21561961 |
| neuronal processing of translational optic flow in the visual system of the shore crab carcinus maenas. | this paper describes a search for neurones sensitive to optic flow in the visual system of the shore crab carcinus maenas using a procedure developed from that of krapp and hengstenberg. this involved determining local motion sensitivity and its directional selectivity at many points within the neurone's receptive field and plotting the results on a map. our results showed that local preferred directions of motion are independent of velocity, stimulus shape and type of motion (circular or linear ... | 2011 | 21490266 |
| interspecific hybridization and mitochondrial introgression in invasive carcinus shore crabs. | interspecific hybridization plays an important role in facilitating adaptive evolutionary change. more specifically, recent studies have demonstrated that hybridization may dramatically influence the establishment, spread, and impact of invasive populations. in japan, previous genetic evidence for the presence of two non-native congeners, the european green crab carcinus maenas and the mediterranean green crab c. aestuarii, has raised questions regarding the possibility of hybridization between ... | 2011 | 21423759 |
| salinity regulates n-methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine in euryhaline crustaceans hepatopancreas and exchange of newly-formed phosphatidylcholine with hemolymph. | phosphatidylcholine (pc), the main phospholipid in eukaryotes, is synthesized via two different routes, the phosphatidylethanolamine n-methyl transferase (pemt) and the cdp-choline pathways. we previously showed in euryhaline fish that salinity impacts the relative contribution of the two pathways for pc biosynthesis, with pemt pathway being activated in the liver of sea water (sw)-adapted animals. to address the occurrence of such phenomenon in other animals we performed in vivo metabolic studi ... | 2011 | 21416254 |
| no evidence of morphine analgesia to noxious shock in the shore crab, carcinus maenas. | a number of criteria have been suggested for testing if pain occurs in animals, and these include an analgesic effect of opiates (bateson, 1991). morphine reduces responses to noxious stimuli in crustaceans but also reduces responsiveness in a non-pain context. here we use a paradigm in which shore crabs receive a shock in a preferred dark shelter but not if they remain in an unpreferred light area. analgesia should thus enhance movement to the preferred dark area because they should not experie ... | 2011 | 21324350 |
| microarray-detected changes in gene expression in gills of green crabs (carcinus maenas) upon dilution of environmental salinity. | the interaction between environmental salinity and gene expression was studied in gills of the euryhaline green shore crab carcinus maenas. a 4462-feature oligonucleotide microarray was used to analyze changes in transcript abundance in posterior ion-transporting gills at 8 time periods following transfer of animals from 32 to 10 or 15 ppt salinity. transcripts encoding na(+)/k(+)-atpase α-subunit and cytoplasmic carbonic anhydrase were upregulated with significant changes between 6 and 24h post ... | 2011 | 21220218 |
| integrated assessment of biochemical responses in mediterranean crab (carcinus maenas) collected from monastir bay, tunisia. | the biochemical response of mediteranean crab (carcinus maenas) collected at five stations of monastir bay and from kuriat station as control was studied using a set of complementary biomarkers. the catalase, glutathione s-transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, acetycholinesterase activities; and metallothionein and malonediladehyde levels in gills were evaluated. results revealed differences among sites in relation to each specific biomarker. hence, a suite of biomarkers can be used to discriminat ... | 2011 | 22432268 |
| down-regulation of activity and expression of three transport-related proteins in the gills of the euryhaline green crab, carcinus maenas, in response to high salinity acclimation. | the euryhaline green crab, carcinus maenas, undergoes an annual cycle of salinity exposure, having to adapt to low salinity during its annual spring migration into estuaries, and then having to re-adapt to high salinity when it moves off-shore at the end of summer. most studies have focused on low salinity acclimation, the activation of osmoregulatory mechanisms, and the induction of transport protein and transport-related enzyme activity and gene expression. in this study we followed the change ... | 2011 | 21035561 |
| temporal genetic homogeneity among shore crab (carcinus maenas) larval events supplied to an estuarine system on the portuguese northwest coast. | despite the importance of larval biology in the life histories of many marine animals, relatively little information exists on the dynamics and genetic composition of larval cohorts. the supply of megalopae larvae of the shore crab, carcinus maenas, was measured on a daily basis during 8 months spread along two larval periods (2006 and 2007) at the ria de aveiro estuary, on the portuguese northwest coast. a total of 10 microsatellite dna loci were employed to explore the genetic structure, varia ... | 2011 | 20959862 |
| cloning of a nitric oxide synthase from green shore crab, carcinus maenas: a comparative study of the effects of eyestalk ablation on expression in the molting glands (y-organs) of c. maenas, and blackback land crab, gecarcinus lateralis. | molting in decapod crustaceans is regulated by ecdysteroids produced by a pair of y-organs (yos) located in the cephalothorax. yo ecdysteroidogenesis is suppressed by molt-inhibiting hormone (mih), a neuropeptide produced in the x-organ of the eyestalk (es) ganglia. mih signaling may involve nitric oxide synthase (nos) and no-sensitive guanylyl cyclase (gc-i). a full-length cdna encoding carcinus maenas nos (cm-nos; 3836 base pairs) of 1164 amino acid residues (estimated mass 131,833 da) was clo ... | 2011 | 20959144 |
| parasites of the shore crab carcinus maenas (l.): implications for reproductive potential and invasion success. | the european shore crab, carcinus maenas, is one of the most successful marine invasive species. its success has been in part attributed to the loss of parasites, rekindling an interest in host-parasite interactions and impacts on host fitness in this crab. in the present study, we investigated c. maenas populations from europe, south africa and australia for parasites, and assessed their impact on the fitness of male crabs. for the shore crab, testes weight along with success in mating competit ... | 2011 | 20880423 |
| elucidating cellular and behavioural effects of contaminant impact (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pahs) in both laboratory-exposed and field-collected shore crabs, carcinus maenas (crustacea: decapoda). | monitoring effects of contaminants at lower levels of biological organisation (e.g. biochemical and cellular) allows for mechanistic evaluation of effects of contaminant exposure through laboratory exposures. however, higher level organism effects (e.g. physiological and behavioural) are deemed more ecologically-relevant. in the present study, cellular (cell viability and immune function), physiological (cardiac activity) and behavioural (foraging behaviour) responses were evaluated in field-col ... | 2010 | 20727579 |
| physiological responses of three crustacean species to infection by the dinoflagellate-like protist hematodinium (alveolata: syndinea). | this is the first study comparing physiological responses of three decapod species to infection by parasites of the genus hematodinium, which belongs to the dinoflagellate-like syndinea. responses varied profoundly between the crabs carcinus maenas and cancer pagurus (brachyura), but also differed to those of hermit crabs, pagurus bernhardus (anomura). osmoregulatory capacity was reduced significantly in hematodinium-infected c. maenas, haemolymph ph increased in parasitised c. pagurus and p. be ... | 2010 | 20600085 |
| assessment of the multispecies freshwater biomonitor (mfb) in a marine context: the green crab (carcinus maenas) as an early warning indicator. | the multispecies freshwater biomonitor is an online continuous biomonitor which utilises impedance conversion to quantitatively record behavioural responses of vertebrates and invertebrates to environmental change. here, we extend the use of the mfb into the marine aquaculture environment using the green crab (carcinus maenas) as a biological monitor. as a ubiquitous and abundant species, c. maenas can be used in applications such as aquaculture and monitoring of diffuse and point source marine ... | 2010 | 20585707 |
| relationships between habitat conditions, larval traits, and juvenile performance in a marine invertebrate. | environmental effects on sets of traits of organisms can have important consequences on populations. in marine species with complex life cycles, plastic responses in larval traits can affect size at metamorphosis and juvenile growth. these traits can ultimately affect survival and recruitment. here, i evaluate links between pelagic conditions, natural variations in larval physiological traits (duration of development, size of the megalopa stage), size at metamorphosis, and juvenile growth in the ... | 2010 | 20503872 |
| 'take-away' foraging spatially uncouples predator and prey-attack distributions. | 1. ideal-free distribution theory assumes that in a patchy environment foragers maximize fitness and hence their feeding rate by balancing gains from more food against losses from more competition. ultimately, individuals cannot increase their feeding rate by moving to another patch and they distribute themselves over patches in proportion to prey density per patch. 2. in our experiments with shore crabs carcinus maenas foraging on two adjacent patches with mussels mytilus edulis, the implicit a ... | 2010 | 20443987 |
| monitoring pah contamination in the field (south west iberian peninsula): biomonitoring using fluorescence spectrophotometry and physiological assessments in the shore crab carcinus maenas (l.) (crustacea: decapoda). | polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) are ubiquitous pollutants of the marine environment, arising predominantly from petrochemical contamination and pyrogenic sources. a biomarker of pah exposure was employed in a field study (south west, spain) in both captured (indigenous) and deployed (caged) shore crabs (carcinus maenas) in the chronic pah-exposed bays of algeciras and gibraltar (from associated harbour and boating activity) compared to a relatively 'clean' site (cadiz). metabolite fluore ... | 2010 | 20347130 |
| acute effects of chlorpyryphos-ethyl and secondary treated effluents on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in carcinus maenas. | the acute effects of commercial formulation of chlorpyrifos-ethyl (dursban) and the secondary treated industrial/urban effluent (stiue) exposure on acetylcholinesterase (ache) and butyrylcholinesterase (buche) activities in hepatopancreas and gills of mediterranean crab carcinus maenas were investigated. after 2 d of exposure to chlorpyriphos-ethyl, the ache activity was inhibited in both organs at concentrations of 3.12 and 7.82 microg/l, whereas the buche was inhibited only at higher concentra ... | 2009 | 20000004 |
| the effects of diclofenac on the physiology of the green shore crab carcinus maenas. | in recent years there has been increasing concern regarding the influx of pharmaceuticals into aquatic environments. one group of pharmaceuticals that has been identified as being of particular concern are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsaids). this study examined the effects of one of the most commonly reported nsaid contaminants, diclofenac, on the physiology of carcinus maenas. two environmentally realistic concentrations were examined in this study (10 ng/l and 100 ng/l) at two ... | 2010 | 19954835 |
| functions of ion transport peptide and ion transport peptide-like in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum. | ion transport peptide (itp) and itp-like (itpl) are highly conserved neuropeptides in insects and crustaceans. we investigated the alternatively spliced variants of itp/itpl in tribolium castaneum to understand their functions. we identified three alternatively spliced transcripts named itp, itpl-1, and itpl-2. expression patterns of the splice variants investigated by exon-specific in situ hybridization were somewhat different from those previously reported in other insect species. most importa ... | 2009 | 19715761 |
| structural study of carcinus maenas hemocyanin by native esi-ms: interaction with l-lactate and divalent cations. | the interaction of l-lactate and divalent cations with carcinus maenas hemocyanin has been probed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry under conditions preserving noncovalent interactions (native esi-ms). c. maenas native hemocyanin in the hemolymph occurs mainly as dodecamers and to a lesser extent as hexamers. a progressive acidification with formic acid after alkaline dissociation resulted in the preferential recruitment of the two lightest subunits into light dodecamers, a molecular ... | 2009 | 19544565 |
| characterization of the carcinus maenas neuropeptidome by mass spectrometry and functional genomics. | carcinus maenas, commonly known as the european green crab, is one of the best-known and most successful marine invasive species. while a variety of natural and anthropogenic mechanisms are responsible for the geographic spread of this crab, its ability to adapt physiologically to a broad range of salinities, temperatures and other environmental factors has enabled its successful establishment in new habitats. to extend our understanding of hormonal control in c. maenas, including factors that a ... | 2009 | 19523386 |
| consumers that are not 'ideal' or 'free' can still approach the ideal free distribution using simple patch-leaving rules. | 1. the ideal free distribution (ifd) has been widely used to determine whether consumers distribute themselves optimally. however, this theory is based on three assumptions that are clearly violated in many systems. the theory assumes that all individuals know the quality of each available site, are equally free to move between all sites, and have equal competitive abilities. 2. i examine the utility of this theory to predict the distribution of the invasive european green crab carcinus maenas, ... | 2009 | 19486205 |
| the use of a kinetic biomarker approach for in situ monitoring of littoral sediments using the crab carcinus maenas. | caged, transplanted, intermoult, female shore crabs (carcinus maenas) were exposed to sediments from the port of cadiz (sw, spain); the port of huelva (sw, spain), the port of pasajes (ne, spain) and the port of bilbao (nw, spain) for a period of 28 days. organisms were sampled on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 allowing examination of different biomarkers to exposure to metals and organic compounds; metallothioneins (mts), ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (erod), glutathione-s-transferase (gst) and glutat ... | 2009 | 19443024 |
| behavioral, physiological, and cellular responses following trophic transfer of toxic monoaromatic hydrocarbons. | the trophic transfer of monoaromatic hydrocarbons to predatory organisms feeding upon contaminated marine animals is not well reported within the scientific literature. branched alkylbenzenes (babs) unresolved by gas chromatography have been reported to be principal toxic components of bioaccumulated hydrocarbons in the tissues of some wild mussel, mytilus edulis, populations with poor health status. mussels, m. edulis, contaminated with a commercial mixture of babs were fed to shore crabs, carc ... | 2009 | 19378460 |
| application of biomarkers to assess the condition of european marine sites. | a series of european marine sites has been designated as special areas of conservation (sac) in england. the aim of this study was to develop a practical methodology to assess the condition of sacs by applying a suite of biomarkers. biomarkers were applied to the blue mussel mytilus edulis and the shore crab carcinus maenas from the fal and helford sac (cornwall). individual biomarkers provided useful diagnostic information on the activity of certain classes of contaminants and an integrated bio ... | 2009 | 19359075 |
| an intertidal snail shows a dramatic size increase over the past century. | changes in the shell architecture of marine snails enhance defenses and greatly improve survival against predators. in the northwest atlantic ocean, shorter and thicker shells have been reported for several species following the introduction of predatory carcinus maenas crabs early in the 20th century. but we report that the shell lengths of nucella lapillus actually increased by an average of 22.6% over the past century, with no evidence of shell thickening after correcting for shell length. th ... | 2009 | 19307561 |
| genetic patterns across multiple introductions of the globally invasive crab genus carcinus. | the european green crab carcinus maenas is one of the world's most successful aquatic invaders, having established populations on every continent with temperate shores. here we describe patterns of genetic diversity across both the native and introduced ranges of c. maenas and its sister species, c. aestuarii, including all known non-native populations. the global data set includes sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit i gene, as well as multilocus genotype data from nine ... | 2008 | 19120987 |
| quantification of metallothionein by differential pulse polarography overestimates concentrations in crustaceans. | if metallothionein concentrations in invertebrates are to be used as biomarkers for metal contamination in the aquatic environment, it is imperative thatthe methods used for quantitative analysis are reliable. a review of the literature concerned with quantification of crustacean metallothionein shows that utilization of differential pulse polarography generally results in higher concentrations than any other method. the obvious discrepancies were investigated by experimental comparison of three ... | 2008 | 19068828 |
| cytochrome p450 expression is moult stage specific and regulated by ecdysteroids and xenobiotics in the crab carcinus maenas. | the shore crab carcinus maenas has a high capacity for metabolizing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs). cytochrome p450 (cyp) enzymes are involved in this metabolism and also have a role in development and reproduction. this investigation is a systematic gene expression analysis of six cyps in c. maenas. expression of cyp2 and cyp3-like genes was predominant in hepatopancreas, while expression of cyp4-like genes was predominant in gills and epidermis. expression of all six cyp genes fluctua ... | 2008 | 18983823 |
| resource identity modifies the influence of predation risk on ecosystem function. | it is well established that predators can scare as well as consume their prey. in many systems, the fear of being eaten causes trait-mediated cascades whose strength can rival or exceed that of more widely recognized density-mediated cascades transmitted by predators that consume their prey. despite this progress it is only beginning to be understood how the influence of predation risk is shaped by environmental context and whether it can exert an important influence on ecosystem-level processes ... | 2008 | 18959317 |
| non-destructive assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (pah) exposure by fluorimetric analysis of crab urine. | the detection of urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (pah) metabolites by fluorescence spectrophotometry is particularly effective as a practical means to assess pah exposure in decapod crabs. however, the practical application of this technique has thus far only been tested for the european shore crab (carcinus maenas) and only a few field studies have been conducted in heavily polluted areas. the present study evaluated the adaptability of this method as a rapid, cost-effective and non-des ... | 2008 | 18845307 |
| degree of neuromuscular facilitation is correlated with contribution to walking in leg muscles of two species of crab. | despite decades of work on the neuromuscular physiology of crustacean leg muscles, little is known about how physiological differences between these muscles relate to their behavioral usage. we studied a sideways walking shore crab, carcinus maenas, and a forward walking spider crab, libinia emarginata, as part of our work to understand the neural control of locomotion. the two species differed significantly in facilitation at neuromuscular junctions for every muscle studied. further, these diff ... | 2008 | 18830606 |
| physiological responses of juvenile and adult shore crabs carcinus maenas (crustacea: decapoda) to pyrene exposure. | this study measured aspects of the physiology of juvenile [(<35mm carapace width (cw)] and adult (>60mm cw) carcinus maenas to test the hypothesis that these different life-history stages exhibit different sensitivities to environmental contamination. newly-collected juveniles had significantly (p<0.05) lower immunocompetence (phagocytosis and cellular integrity), lower metabolic energy (haemolymph glucose) and increased scope for growth compared with adults. seven day exposure to a sub-lethal c ... | 2008 | 18774603 |
| methyl farnesoate couples environmental changes to testicular development in the crab carcinus maenas. | carcinus maenas males have two major color phases. green-phase males molt frequently and tend to live in brackish estuaries during the summer. after becoming red-phase males, they molt infrequently, have higher mating success, and live in cooler, deeper water. we found profound differences between these two phases in the way salinity and temperature affect hemolymph levels of methyl farnesoate (mf), a hormone that affects crustacean reproduction. few green-phase males (<10%) had detectable mf in ... | 2008 | 18723534 |
| tissue changes in the shore crab carcinus maenas as a result of infection by the parasitic barnacle sacculina carcini. | we studied the effect of parasitic invasion by the barnacle sacculina carcini on shore crabs carcinus maenas collected from the menai straits in north wales, uk. a significant reduction in serum protein and circulating granular, semi-granular and hyaline blood cells was observed in parasitised individuals, while serum ammonium and glucose concentrations were significantly increased. no difference in hepatopancreatic glycogen concentration was found between healthy and parasitised crabs. histolog ... | 2008 | 18714687 |
| fine structural survey of old cuticle degradation during pre-ecdysis in two european atlantic crabs. | light and transmission electron microscopy were used to monitor changes due to the degradation of the old exoskeleton and related events in the sclerites, articular membranes, and gills of two decapod crustaceans (carcinus maenas and macropipus puber) during pre-ecdysis. in both sclerites and articular membranes, degradation follows a similar general pattern in both crab species, while the gill cuticle appears unaltered. in early pre-ecdysis (d(0)), the degradation of the old cuticle starts with ... | 1998 | 18627837 |
| nutritional status of carcinus maenas (crustacea: decapoda) influences susceptibility to contaminant exposure. | using the shore crab carcinus maenas as a model, this study tested the hypothesis that nutritional status influences susceptibility of adult crabs (>60mm carapace width (cw)) to environmental contamination. in the laboratory, crabs were either starved, given a restricted diet (fed on alternate days) or fully fed (fed each day). in addition, crabs under each feeding regime were exposed to a sublethal concentration (200microgl(-1)) of pyrene (pyr) as a model organic (pah (polyaromatic hydrocarbon) ... | 2008 | 18606465 |
| ambient fauna impairs parasite transmission in a marine parasite-host system. | to understand possible factors controlling transmission of trematode larvae between first and second intermediate hosts we examined the impact of ambient fauna on parasite transmission in a marine intertidal parasite-host association. cockle hosts (cerastoderma edule) kept together with selected co-occurring macrozoobenthic species in mesocosms acquired a lower parasite load compared to cockles kept alone, when targeted by cercariae of the trematode himasthla elongata. the reduction of parasite ... | 2008 | 18561867 |
| differential expression and induction of two carbonic anhydrase isoforms in the gills of the euryhaline green crab, carcinus maenas, in response to low salinity. | two isoforms of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (ca) from the gills of the euryhaline green crab were sequenced and identified; these were found to match the cytoplasmic (cac) and membrane-associated (cag) isoforms known from other species. the mrna of the membrane-associated isoform is present in significantly higher levels of abundance in gills of crabs acclimated to 32 ppt, at which the crab is an osmotic and ionic conformer. upon transfer to low salinity (15 ppt), in which the crab is an osmor ... | 2008 | 20483218 |
| angiotensin-converting enzyme-like activity in crab gills and its putative role in degradation of crustacean hyperglycemic hormone. | angiotensin-converting enzyme-like enzyme activity (acela) was found in carcinus maenas using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (rp-hplc) analysis of degradation kinetics of a synthetic substrate (hippuryl-histidyl-leucine) and a specific inhibitor (captopril). gills contained the highest acela, then brain, muscle, and testis, respectively, while no activity was detected in the following tissues: hepatopancreas, hindgut, hypodermis, heart, and hemolymph. acela present in gill ... | 2008 | 18481304 |
| a robotic molecular method for in situ detection of marine invertebrate larvae. | knowledge of the temporal and spatial abundance of invertebrate larvae is critical to understanding the dispersal capabilities and recruitment potential of marine and aquatic organisms. traditional microscopic analyses are time-consuming and difficult given the diversity of larval species and a frequent lack of discriminating morphological characteristics. here, we describe a sensitive rrna targeted sandwich hybridization assay (sha) that uses oligonucleotide probes to detect and enumerate the l ... | 2008 | 21585831 |
| sublethal responses in caged organisms exposed to sediments affected by oil spills. | this study was performed to determine sublethal responses of two invertebrate species by using field deployments in areas affected by oil spills, which are acute in the galician coast (nnw, spain) and chronic in the bay of algeciras (ssw, spain). the organisms employed were the crab carcinus maenas and the clam ruditapes philippinarum, and during 28 days the animals were exposed to contaminated sediments in cages under field conditions. different biomarkers of exposure were determined after a 28 ... | 2008 | 18420252 |
| positive darwinian selection on crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (chh) of the green shore crab, carcinus maenas. | the tissue-specific expression and differential function of the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (chh) in carcinus maenas indicate an interesting evolutionary history. previous studies have shown that chh from the sinus gland x-organ (xo-type) has hyperglycemic activity, whereas the chh from the pericardial organ (po-type) neither shows hyperglycemic activity nor it inhibits y-organ ecdysteroid synthesis. here we examined the types of selective pressures operating on the variants of chh in carci ... | 2007 | 18391229 |
| thermodynamics of oxygenation-linked proton and lactate binding govern the temperature sensitivity of o2 binding in crustacean (carcinus maenas) hemocyanin. | with the aim of understanding the molecular underpinnings of the enormous variation in the temperature sensitivity of hemocyanin-o2 affinity encountered in crustaceans, we measured o2 binding to carcinus maenas hemocyanin at two temperatures, varying ph values and in the absence and presence of lactate ions in order to assess the contributions of oxygenation-linked binding of protons (the bohr effect) and lactate ions to the overall enthalpies of oxygenation (deltah'). the hemocyanin binds maxim ... | 2008 | 18344479 |
| permanent genetic resources: isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the mediterranean shore crab carcinus aestuarii (decapoda, portunidae). | we characterized nine polymorphic microsatellites in the mediterranean shore crab carcinus aestuarii (decapoda: portunidae). microsatellites were isolated from a partial genomic library enriched for multiple motifs. all loci were polymorphic, with number of alleles ranging from two to 16 and a mean observed heterozygosity of 0.75. seven loci were in hardy-weinberg equilibrium, and two showed weak heterozygote deficiency. no linkage disequilibrium was found between loci. in addition, we tested ha ... | 2008 | 21585795 |
| differential snail predation by an exotic crab and the geography of shell-claw covariance in the northwest atlantic. | here we investigate if predation by the european green crab (carcinus maenas) differs between two congeneric snails in the northwest atlantic (littorina littorea and l. obtusata), and ask if differential predation can help explain the geography of claw and shell forms among geographically separated populations. first, correlations between crusher-claw size and shell mass -- tested across a wide size range of animals -- were highly significant among populations of c. maenas and l. obtusata, where ... | 2008 | 18298647 |
| species invasion shifts the importance of predator dependence. | the strength of interference between foraging individuals can influence per capita consumption rates, with important consequences for predator and prey populations and system stability. here we demonstrate how the replacement of a previously established invader, the predatory crab carcinus maenas, by the recently invading predatory crab hemigrapsus sanguineus shifts predation from a species that experiences strong predator interference (strong predator dependence) to one that experiences weak pr ... | 2007 | 18229836 |
| identification and developmental expression of mrnas encoding putative insect cuticle hardening hormone, bursicon in the green shore crab carcinus maenas. | bursicon is the ultimate hormone in insect ecdysis, which is involved in cuticle hardening. here we show that mrnas encoding the heterodimeric cystine knot protein bursicon (burs alpha, beta), are present in crustaceans, suggesting ubiquity of this hormone in arthropods. we firstly report the cloning, sequencing of mrnas encoding subunits from the water flea, daphnia arenata and the cns of the crab, carcinus maenas, in comparison with insect bursicon subunits. expression patterns of alpha and be ... | 2008 | 18221939 |
| effects of 4-nonylphenol on the endocrine system of the shore crab, carcinus maenas. | there is a considerable body of evidence to suggest that many anthropogenic chemicals, most notably xeno-estrogens, are able to disrupt the endocrine system of vertebrates. there have been few comparable studies on the effects of exposure to these chemicals that may serve as biomarkers of endocrine disruption in aquatic invertebrate species. in addition, the evidence available is complex, conflicting, and far from conclusive. the present study aimed to investigate the impact of the xeno-estrogen ... | 2008 | 18214899 |
| inhibition between invasives: a newly introduced predator moderates the impacts of a previously established invasive predator. | 1. with continued globalization, species are being transported and introduced into novel habitats at an accelerating rate. interactions between invasive species may provide important mechanisms that moderate their impacts on native species. 2. the european green crab carcinus maenas is an aggressive predator that was introduced to the east coast of north america in the mid-1800 s and is capable of rapid consumption of bivalve prey. a newer invasive predator, the asian shore crab hemigrapsus sang ... | 2008 | 18177327 |