Meeting Abstract
In arthropods, the central complex (CX) is a collection of midline neuropils commonly implicated in sensory integration and pre-motor control. The organization of a species’ CX often correlates with sensory complexity and/or motor “dexterity”. For example, polarization e-vectors are topographically represented in the desert locust protocerebral bridge, which suggests that here the CX plays a role in processing polarized-light information. Furthermore, the CX of insects with elaborate motor repertoires, like the spiny Australian stick insect, is organized into distinct columns, whereas the CX of insects with reduced motor behaviors, such as earwigs, lack such organization. Mantis shrimps, also known as stomatopod crustaceans, are marine arthropods famed for their unique sensory attributes and dynamic predatory behavior. However, little work has been done to characterize their central complex. Here, we present CX neuroarchitecture of two species of stomatopod crustaceans, Neogonadactylus oerstedii and Squilla empusa, and the decapod crustacean Procambarus clarkii—three aquatic arthropods with distinctly different degrees of sensory and behavioral complexity. Central brain tissue was immunostained with antisera raised against synapsin and alpha-tubulin. Unlike the crayfish, the stomatopod brains exhibited regular columnar organization of the central body. Furthermore, the stomatopod CXs featured noduli, globular paired neuropils that had previously been observed only in winged insects. Future experiments will incorporate dye injections and electrophysiological techniques to identify the intrinsic, afferent, and efferent neurons of the stomatopod CX.
