Cuticular sensilla in the chelate periopods of the red banded coral shrimp Stenopus hispidus

Abstract

The knowledge of structure and function of crustacean cuticular receptors, especially chemoreceptors, is still scant at the present due to an emphasis on the study of arthropod cuticular sensilla from the Insecta. This report describes by TEM and SEM the structure of sensory pegs along the cutting edge of the chelate periopods of the red banded coral shrimp, Stenopus hispidus, a cleaner shrimp in coral reefs.Stenopus hispidus were collected from the Florida Keys and maintained in marine aquaria. Autotomized chelate periopods for SEM study were fixed in 4% glutaraldehyde in Na-cacodylate buffer, pH = 7.4; sonicated; placed in ethanol; critical point dried; and coated with gold-palladium with a Hummer V sputter coater. The material was then examined in a JEOL 35C SEM. Autotomized chelate periopods within 24 hrs post-molt were fixed for TEM in Karnovsky's fixative in 0.1 M Na-cacodylate buffer, pH = 7.4; post fixed in 1.0% OsO4 in the same buffer; dehydrated through a graded series of ethanols; embedded in Epon-Araldite; and examined in a Philips 300 TEM.