Meeting Abstract
Grooming behaviors decrease fouling on body regions and these behaviors can be efficient in keeping respiratory and sensory structures functional. Within one group, such as decapod crustaceans, appendages and morphologies of these grooming appendages are different. Setae on grooming appendages are important in removing fouling and increasing sensory reception. Mantis shrimp are marine crustaceans divided into two groups based on the morphology of their feeding raptorial appendage. Generally, “spearers” have a knife-like appendage, usually live in deeper waters, and are nocturnal while “smashers” have a club-like appendage, usually live in shallow waters, and are active in the daytime. These groups have different grooming time budgets and body regions groomed, but both groups only have one grooming appendage, the first maxilliped. The objective of this research was to describe the morphologies of this grooming appendage in both mantis shrimp groups and to document similarities and/or differences in the setal types and structures on this grooming appendage. Because smashers groom more often and for more time compared to spearers, smashers were predicted to have less elaborate setal morphologies (hence why they groom more than spearers). The first maxilliped of smasher and spearer species (N=2 and N=2, respectively) were observed using microscopy. Overall, most morphologies of the groups were similar, with some minor differences in setal types and their locations on the appendage. The setae found on the grooming appendages were serrate setae, layered “rasp” setae, multiscaled setae, and comb serrate setae. In terms of number of setae associated with the grooming appendages, both mantis shrimp had equal number of setae on grooming appendages but the density of setae did vary.
