Desenvolvimento e morfologia funcional dos estômagos de larvas e pós-larvas dos crustáceos Decapoda

Abstract

Food is considered critical for the successful culture of decapod larvae. Information on the development of larval mouthparts and foregut have contributed for identification of suitable foods and for rearing conditions to enhance survival and growth during the larval progress. The development of foregut structure and digestive function was examined in Litopenaeus vannamei, Lepidophthalmus siriboia, Callichirus major, Petrolisthes armatus, Sesarma curacaoense and S. rectum larvae and post larvae. The protozoeal foregut of L. vannamei is simple, lacking cardio-pyloric valve and rudimental filter press. In mysis, the filter press is developed and become functional. In the juvenile, groove and small lateral teeth arise. In L. siriboia, the zoeal foreguts have no apparently feeding function. But, the megalopa and juvenile have a complex foregut, with gastric mill well developed. The zoeal stages of P. armatus, S. curacaoense and S. rectum have a functional cardio-pyloric valve and filter press. The megalopa and juvenile stages of these species have an adult-type gastric mill. In C. major, the foregut of the zoeae is specialized, with appearance of some rigid structures, but no gastric mill was found. This calcified structure arises in megalopa and grows on the juvenile stage. The morphological features exhibited in each larval stage suggest the following food types in agreement with the capacity of processing of the foregut: gelatinous (microalgae) for the protozoeal stage; flexible (nauplii of Artemia and rotifers) for the zoeal and mysis stages; and flexible or hard (zooplancton, polychaets and mollusks) for megalopa and juvenile I. The foregut structure was also compared to other Decapoda and the relationship between morphology and feeding behavior was discussed