MEAD, K. S.; BRUESTLE, A. E. ; Denison University; Denison University: Do Crayfish From Different Flow Environments Have Different Chemosensor Arrangements On Their Antennules?

Several species of Ohio crayfish (Orconectes spp. and Cambarus spp.) were collected from a variety of flow habitats, including streams with silt, sand, gravel, cobble, and boulder substrates, rock rubble in pools. Some crayfish were exposed to primarily still or slow moving water, while others habitually experienced rapidly moving and/or turbulent flow. Because odor plumes are likely to have different structures in these habitats, we compared the morphology and arrangement of the chemosensory setae (aesthetascs) on crayfish antennules from these environments using light microscopy. Aesthetascs are arranged in single rows per antennular segment and are flanked by guard hairs. We found that aesthetascs varied in number per row, length, diameter, and in the spacing between rows.