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Background: The acquisition of air-breathing organs is one of the key innovations for terrestrialization in animals. Terrestrial isopods, a crustacean lineage, can be interesting models to study the evolution of respiratory organs, as they exhibit varieties of air-breathing structures according to their habitats. However, the evolutionary processes and origins of these structures are unclear, due to the lack of information about their developmental processes. To understand the developmental mechanisms, we compared the developmental processes forming different respiratory structures in three isopod species, i.e., 'uncovered lungs' in Nagurus okinawaensis (Trachelipodidae), 'dorsal respiratory fields' in Alloniscus balssi (Alloniscidae), and pleopods without respiratory structures in Armadilloniscus cf. ellipticus (Detonidae). Results: In N. okinawaensis with uncovered lungs, epithelium and cuticle around the proximal hemolymph sinus developed into respiratory structures at post-manca juvenile stages. On the other hand, in Al. balssi with dorsal respiratory fields, the region for the future respiratory structure was already present at manca 1 stage, immediately after hatching, where the lateral protrusion of ventral epithelium occurred, forming the respiratory structure. Furthermore, on pleopods in Ar. cf. ellipticus, only thickened dorsal cuticle and the proximal hemolymph sinus developed during postembryonic development without special morphogenesis. Conclusions: This study shows that the respiratory structures in terrestrial isopods develop primarily by postembryonic epithelial modifications, but the epithelial positions developing into respiratory structures differ between uncovered lungs and dorsal respiratory fields. This suggests that these two types of respiratory structures do not result from simple differences in the degree of development. Future analysis of molecular developmental mechanisms will help determine whether these are the result of heterotopic changes or have different evolutionary origins. Overall, this study provides fundamental information for evolutionary developmental studies of isopod respiratory organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During evolution, various lineages of arthropods colonized land and independently acquired air-breathing organs. Some taxa of oniscidean isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) are the most successful crustacean lineages on land and possess organs called "lungs" or "pseudotrachea" for air-breathing in their abdominal appendages, i.e., in pleopods. Although these lungs are important for adapting to the terrestrial environment, their developmental process has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the process of lung development in Porcellio scaber , the common rough woodlouse with pleopodal lungs in the first two pairs of pleopods. The lungs in the second pleopods developed at the manca 1 stage (immediately after hatching) and became functional at the manca 2 stage. In the first pleopods, which appear at the manca 3 stage, the lungs were gradually developed during the manca 3 stage and became functional in post-manca juveniles. In the second pleopods, epithelial invaginations led to lung development. These results suggest that some novel developmental mechanisms with epithelial invaginations and cuticle formation were acquired during terrestrialization, resulting in the development of functional lungs in the terrestrial isopod lineages. [Display omitted] • Pleopodal lungs in Porcellio scaber are developed during postembryonic stages. • Lungs in first and second pleopods develop at different timing with different shapes. • Epithelial invagination and cuticle secretion occurs during lung development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many animals that perform sexual reproduction exhibit sexual dimorphism, individuals with intersex traits between the traits of males and females appear in some species, depending on environmental factors. Ptychognathus ishii , a varunid crab, exhibits distinctive sexual dimorphism in the morphology of its abdomen, chelipeds and setal tufts on the chelipeds. In this study, however, we report for the first time that intersex individuals with intermediate characters between those of males and females were occasionally found in wild populations. Morphological features of intersex individuals are described. Their taxonomic positions are identified based on DNA sequences of part of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. It was shown that the intersexuality was induced by entoniscid parasites, because all intersex individuals were parasitized by entoniscid isopods, identified as Entionella sp. The apparent correlation between parasitism and morphological anomalies suggests that the parasitic isopods affect physiological conditions, leading to the feminization of male hosts.

Background: The freshwater shrimp, Australatyaobscura Han & Klotz, has been known only from Taiwan and Panay Island, Philippines., New Information: An adult A.obscura was collected from a river on Ishigaki Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. This is the first record of the species in Japan and the northernmost specimen-supported record to date. The species is suggested as having been transported northwards by the Kuroshio Current.

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid found in unpolished rice, chocolate, tea, and other foods. It is an important inhibitory neurotransmitter. However, the influence of GABA on object recognition and working memory is still unknown. In this study, the effects of GABA on novel object recognition (NOR) memory and working memory were examined. The proper retention interval and delay time were also investigated for the NOR test and T-maze test, respectively. Male 3-wk-old Wistar rats were allowed free access to food and water containing 0.5% GABA or 1% GABA for a month. After that, the rats performed the NOR test at a 48 h retention interval and T-maze test at a 900 s delay time to estimate the effects of GABA on learning behavior. The results showed that the object information in the NOR test was stored as long-term memory and the recognition index (RI) was significantly increased after GABA administration. The accuracy rate also significantly increased after GABA administration. These indicate that GABA may be involved in long-term object recognition memory and working memory.