Morphology And Electrophysiology Of Crayfish Antennules

This chapter talks about the incubation of the endangered Japanese crayfish ( Cambaroides japonicus ) eggs in vitro at different water conditions - pH and water temperature in order to understand the suitable egg rearing conditions. Crayfish eggs sampled just after spawning do not survive until they hatch out. This result strongly suggests that early stage of eggs effectively develop when attached to the pleopods of the mother. In contrast, crayfish eggs before hatching were able to survive in a wide range of water conditions. However, they were weak for acid condition. These findings suggest that acid conditions caused by human activities can spur the drastic decline of Japanese crayfish. It is estimated that the eggs of C. japonicus do not hatch in acidified water, and their optimal hatching temperature is different with each local population. Keywords: Cambaroides japonicus ; Japanese crayfish eggs; optimal hatching temperature; pH; water temperature