Embryonic Development of Commercially Important Portunid Crab
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Soundarapandian et al., J Marine Sci Res Dev 2013, 3:2 Marine Science http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-9910.1000122 Research & Development ResearchResearch Article Article OpenOpen Access Access Embryonic Development of Commercially Important Portunid Crab, Charybdis feriata (Linnaeus) Soundarapandian P1*, Ilavarasan N2, Varadharajan D1, Jaideep Kumar1 and Suresh B1 1Faculty of Marine Sciences, Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, India 2Department of Zoology, Government Arts College, Karur, India Abstract The quality and survival of newly hatched zoea will depend primarily on the embryonic development. So an attempt has been made to study the embryonic development in the portunid crab, Charybdis feriata. The embryonic development of C. feriata is divided into six stages, viz. blastula, gastrula, eye placode, pigment; heart beat and freshly hatched first zoea. In blastula stage, the eggs were round, golden yellow in colour and the diameter of the egg was 0.36 mm-0.37 mm. In gastrula stage, the eggs were round and deep yellow or yellowish orange in colour, and the diameter of the egg was 0.38 mm-0.39 mm. In eye placode stage, the eggs were round orange in colour and the diameter of egg was 40 mm-41 mm. In pigment stage, the eggs were brown in colour and the diameter of the egg was 0.42 mm-0.43 mm. In hear beat stage, the eggs were dark brown or black in colour, and the diameter of the egg was 0.44 mm-0.45 mm. The freshly hatched I zoea moved freely in the water, and its carapace length ranges from 1.05 mm-1.25 mm. Keywords: Embryonic development; Blastula; First zoea; Crucifix Results crab; Survival The eggs of C. feriata went through different colours with its Introduction gradual development. The newly spawned eggs were bright yellow, and the number of eggs attached to each seta of the pleopod was not After the disease outbreak in shrimp farming, crabs have become definite in number. The eggs were spherical and surrounded by two a candidate species for aquaculture because of their export potential membranes, an inner and outer membrane. Both membranes were [1-7]. In order to develop a hatchery technology, the crab larval biology transparent, and the yolk was visible as yellow granules with polygonal should be thoroughly studied to produce good quality eggs and healthy areas. Owing to the large size of the egg mass, the abdomen was almost zoea from the mother crab [1,2,4,5]. So far, there is no reliable hatchery straight, continues with the cephalothorax, and the telson was slightly for crabs because of the mass mortality of the zoeal stages. Hence, tilted upwards. The newly oviposited eggs contain all the necessary embryological study forms a base line to get healthy first zoea from material for synthetic processes associated with embryogenesis and developing eggs. So, in the present study, an attempt has been made to morphogenesis, and all of the compounds required for oxidative study the embryonic development of C. feriata. metabolism and energy production. The egg contains nutritive Materials and Methods reserves, in the form of proteinaceous yolk and lipid vesicles scattered throughout the cytoplasm. The newly spawned eggs were bright Gravid females of C. feriata with early broods (yellowish orange yellow, as the yolk contains carotenoid pigments. As the development coloured eggs) were collected from the Parangipettai coastal waters progresses, the bright yellow colour changes to dull yellow and finally, and retained in separate tanks containing sea water (salinity–35 ± 1%; to dark grey, just one day before hatching. At this stage, the developing temperature-28-31ºC; dissolved oxygen was up to the saturation level larvae with its occasional twitching movements were observed under and photoperiod-12 L: 12 D). The crabs were fed with mussel and clam the microscope. During this period, there was considerable increase in meat once in a day. Every day, the excess food, excreta and shed out the egg size also. The total days of incubation varied between 8-11 days. eggs were siphoned out. Continuous aeration was given throughout the The eggs at the time of oviposition were quite distinct and large. They incubation period and the development of the egg was closely observed. could be divided into six stages, viz. blastula, gastrula, eye placode, Daily colour changes of the eggs during incubation period could be pigment, heart beat and freshly hatched first zoea [10]. noted. Small clumps of eggs were snipped from random locations in each clutch using sharp scissors. All the developing embryos were examined with a MEIJI binocular dissecting microscope (100 X), to ensure that only viable embryos were sampled, and the colour change *Corresponding author: Soundarapandian P, Faculty of Marine Sciences, corresponding to the development and length of incubation period was Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, noted [1,8]. The time course of embryonic development, as indicated Parangipettai-608 502, Tamil Nadu, India, Tel: 04144-243223; Fax: 04144- by the appearance of specific morphological features, including 243553; E-mail: [email protected] the development of the compound eye, initiation of the heart beat, Received March 23, 2013; Accepted April 23, 2013; Published May 03, 2013 development of the limb pigmentation and initiation of limb twitches Citation: Soundarapandian P, Ilavarasan N, Varadharajan D, Kumar J, Suresh were monitored. The gradual change in the embryonic development B (2013) Embryonic Development of Commercially Important Portunid Crab, and increase in the size of eggs were recorded to understand the Charybdis feriata (Linnaeus). J Marine Sci Res Dev 3: 122. doi:10.4172/2155- different developmental stages [9]. All these developmental stages were 9910.1000122 photographed using the digital camera (Nikon, COOLFIX 990, and Copyright: © 2013 Soundarapandian P, et al. This is an open-access article Japan), attached with the microscope. distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. J Marine Sci Res Dev ISSN:2155-9910 JMSRD, an open access journal Volume 3 • Issue 2 • 1000121 Citation: Soundarapandian P, Ilavarasan N, Varadharajan D, Kumar J, Suresh B (2013) Embryonic Development of Commercially Important Portunid Crab, Charybdis feriata (Linnaeus). J Marine Sci Res Dev 3: 122. doi:10.4172/2155-9910.1000122 Page 2 of 5 Stage–I–Blastula embryogenesis into two groups as the larger eggs utilize more lipid than protein, and the smaller ones utilize more protein than lipid [14]. Eggs were round, golden yellow in colour and were undeveloped, In most marine invertebrates, the newly laid eggs contain all the energy and mass of undifferentiated cells are found. Yolk granules were and reserves for embryonic development [15,16]. Female nutritional denser. Cleavage and gastrulation were not clear. The diameter of the and reproductive condition, temperature and salinity may affect freshly laid C. feriata egg was 0.36 mm-0.37 mm. oogenesis, embryogenesis and larval quality [17-19]. Stage–II–Gastrula As the embryo develops, the size of the eggs, increases gradually. Eggs were round and deep yellow, or yellowish orange in colour. The eggs swell as they develop, so that by the time they are ready to The space between the egg wall and the inner developing embryo was hatch, they are roughly double their new-laid volume. The egg size visible. The diameter of the egg was 0.38mm-0.39 mm. of nine species of brachyuran crabs did not vary significantly within species and mean egg size was not correlated with female body size Stage–III–Eye placode [20]. The same trend was observed inS. serrata, by where egg diameter Eggs were round orange in colour. Yolk granules were not denser. was not related in any way to female size, and also the egg diameters Segmentation and organogenesis were distinct. The eyespots were increased at a relatively steady pace throughout ontogeny [21]. There appeared as scarlet crescent. The diameter of egg was 40 mm-41 mm. was an accelerated increase in egg diameter, when the embryonic heartbeat was first observed. Similar observations were made by for Stage–IV–Pigment green crab (C. maenas), the nut crab (Ebalia turberosa), and some lobsters (Galathea dispersa and G. squamifera) [22]. Under constant Eggs were brown in colour with slightly elliptical in shape. environmental conditions, the variability in egg size and biomass has Appendages of embryonic larvae were pigmented. The diameter of the been attributed to variation in female size or age and genetic factors egg was 0.42 mm-0.43 mm. [23,24]. Stage–V–Heart beat Hamasaki et al. [25] studied batch fecundity in P. trituberculatus, in The eggs were dark brown or black in colour. Eyes were round in which they emphasized that the size of eggs decreased with increasing shape. Heart starts to beat vigorously. The diameters of C. feriata eggs temperatures, the number of first zoeae showed no fluctuation in the were 0.44 mm-0.45 mm. same-size females throughout the breeding season. They suggested that three patterns of reproductive characters may cause this phenomenon: Stage–VI–Newly hatched first zoea (1) Females invest the same amount of energy in the reproductive The freshly hatched I zoea moved freely in the water, and its output throughout the breeding season, so that they increase egg carapace length ranges from 1.05 mm-1.25 mm. The hatching success number with decreasing egg size dependent on the trade-off between of freshly hatched I zoea is 95%. egg size and number, but lose more eggs between oviposition and hatching as the breeding season advances [26]. (2) Females produce Discussion similar egg numbers, and decrease egg size and energy investment for reproductive output as the breeding season advances; and (3) Females In decapod crustaceans, the embryos develop in broods that are decrease both egg size and number, and egg loss rate decreases as the carried by the females, and experience the parental environmental breeding season advances.