Meeting Abstract

P2.83  Jan. 5  Neurosystematics of Atyidia and Anostraca PEREZ-REYES, Omar*; SU�REZ , David; ROSA-MOLINAR, Eduardo; Univ. Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras; Univ. Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras; Univ. Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras macrobrachium@yahoo.com

Members of Atyidae and Anostraca have a passive filtration system that involves complex adaptations (anatomical and ecological specializations) in their chelae. Chelae are standard systematic characters, but recently we have discovered that characters within the nervous system may have merit in identifying members within major taxa. Using filter paper saturated with a lipophilic red fluorescent emitting cyanine dye PTIR-271 allowed us to identify neurons controlling the chelae in two species of Atya, Atya lanipes and Atya scabra, in Puerto Rico. The cell bodies of the neurons innervating the terminal tufts of setae on the first and second chelae of Atya lanipes and A. scabra localize within the supraesophageal ganglion. We have recently extended this work using the fairy shrimps (Anostraca). Fairy shrimps (Anostraca) were used as an outgroup because the group is considered one of the most primitive living crustaceans of the subphylum Crustacea. Formamide immunohistochemistry has allowed us to confirm and extend previous work on the nervous system of this unique group of Crustacea; specifically work on the dorsal supraesophageal ganglia, and circumesophageal ganglia. By comparing the nervous system of the Anostraca group with the other crustacean groups, such as Atya, we will be able to show the validity of the use of neural structures as systematic characters.