COOPER, Robin L.; SHURANOVA, Zhanna; BURMISTROV, Yuri: Evidence for the Autonomic Nervous System in Decapod Crustaceans

In vertebrates the regulation of internal organs is primarily driven by the autonomic nervous system. Many internal organs in crustaceans, however, are traditionally treated as “autonomic” ones able to function long time after partial or even complete isolation from the CNS (the best examples are the cardiac and stomatogastric ganglia). Recent evidence suggests, however, that an ample and sophisticated nervous control of these internal organs is typical for the whole freely behaving crustaceans. To prepare for rapid escape or confrontation, or maintenance of a resting state during a relaxed period, these animals appear to use certain neural structures which can be compared to the autonomic nervous system in vertebrates. The purpose of this review is to examine evidence for an analog to the autonomic nervous system in the higher invertebrates – the crayfish and other decapod crustaceans. The conclusion was made that an obvious functional similarity takes place in both groups of animals. The existence of intrinsic nerve nets inside the heart and digestive system as well as an inhibitory or acceleratory extrinsic control of their functions by specialized neurotransmitters is one common feature. Additionally, the release of neuromodulators and neurohormones into the circulation is observed in decapods mimicking that of the sympatoadrenal system of vertebrates.