title: Brain architecture of the Pacific White Shrimp Penaeus vannamei Boone, 1931 (Malacostraca, Dendrobranchiata): correspondence of brain structure and sensory input?
abstract: Penaeus vannamei (Dendrobranchiata, Decapoda) is best known as the "Pacific White Shrimp" and is currently the most important crustacean in commercial aquaculture worldwide. Although the neuroanatomy of crustaceans has been well examined in representatives of reptant decapods ("ground-dwelling decapods"), there are only a few studies focusing on shrimps and prawns. In order to obtain insights into the architecture of the brain of P. vannamei, we use neuroanatomical methods including X-ray micro-computed tomography, 3D reconstruction and immunohistochemical staining combined with confocal laser-scanning microscopy and serial sectioning. The brain of P. vannamei exhibits all the prominent neuropils and tracts that characterize the ground pattern of decapod crustaceans. However, the size proportion of some neuropils is salient. The large lateral protocerebrum that comprises the visual neuropils as well as the hemiellipsoid body and medulla terminalis is remarkable. This observation corresponds with the large size of the compound eyes of these animals. In contrast, the remaining median part of the brain is relatively small. It is dominated by the paired antenna 2 neuropils, while the deutocerebral chemosensory lobes play a minor role. Our findings suggest that visual input from the compound eyes and mechanosensory input from the second pair of antennae are major sensory modalities, which this brain processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 23, D-17487, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meth
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 23, D-17487, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Christin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wittfoth
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 23, D-17487, Greifswald, Germany. steffen.harzsch@uni-greifswald.de.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harzsch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Allatostatin; Brain architecture and evolution; Crustacea; FMRFamide; Immunohistochemistry