1

MORPHOLOGY AND
ANATOMy OF
PRAWN AND LOBSTER

NEENU M G
1st M.Sc.
Dept. of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries
AQB2018/04
Kariavattom Campus
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 INTRODUCTION:
Prawn and lobster are closely related animals.
It is commonly committed mistake that lobsters are
identified as large size prawns or the prawns being
understood as small sized lobsters.
Both of them belong to same taxonomic class and order-
Crustacea and Decapoda , but their families are different.
The rate of moulting and some other physical characters
are different.
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PRAWN 4
 MORPHOLOGY OF PRAWN
Prawns are freshwater crustaceans.
 Palaemon is habitually a shy animal, hiding by-the day
and coming to the surface of water at night
There are 10 families of prawn-3 extinct and 7 extant
More than 540 species.
Bilateral symmetry
Eucoleomates and Schizocoleomates
Triploblastic
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Heteronomous and External Segmentation
Body is elongated ,spindle shape, abdomen is in comma(,)
shape.
Size varies from species to species.
Largest prawn: Macrobranchium rosernbergi (gaint river
prawn)-32cm long
Some species in indian waters are: Penaeus monodon
(black tiger prawn, giant tiger prawn), Fenneropenaeus
indicus(indian white prawn)), Penaeus semisulcatus(green
tiger prawn) etc.
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Macrobranchium rosernbergi
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Fenneropenaeus indicus

Penaeus semisulcatus

Penaeus monodon
The body has 2 regions:
1.Anterior Cephalothorax
2.Posterior Abdomen
1.CEPHALOTHORAX:
• Formed by the fusion of the head/cephalon and thorax.
• Head-5 segments
• Thorax-8 segments
• Dorsal and lateral sides are coverd by single chitinous
exoskeleton-Carapace/Dorsal Shield.
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• The dorsal side seperates the anterior head from the
posterior thorax through a Transverse Cervical
Groove.
• The anterior region of the carapace possess Rostrum.
• 2 compound eyes,attached to the base of the rostrum
by movable stalks.
• The free ventral flaps of the carapace on each side of
the thorax is Branchiostegite / Gill Cover.
• The space between branchiostegite and body wall on
each side is Branchial Chamber. 10

• It contains respiratory organs-branchiae/gill.

• The ventral sterna of the cephalothorax fuse and
form a plate called Sternal Plate.
• In female, the sternum of the last thoracic segment
forms an outgrowth called Thelycum.
• The male deposits it’s spermatophores into it.
• In female , a pair of genital openings lie at the base
of the 6th thoracic legs.
• In male, a pair of genital aperture lies on a small
papillae at the base of last pair of thoracic legs.

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 2.ABDOMEN:

• It consists of 6 segments and a terminal piece called

Telson.
• Dorsal side of each segment is covered by an
exoskeleton called Tergum.
• The thin lateral downward prolongation of the tergum
called Pleuron.
• The ventral plate like exoskeleton of the abdominal
segment is Sternum.
• Between pleuron and sternum is Epimeron. 12

• Cuticle is thin.
General Morphology of a Prawn
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 APPENDAGES OF PRAWN
o 19 pairs of jointed appendages.
o Cephalic, thoracic, abdominal appendages.
o Segments of appendages-Podomers.
o Biramous appendages- 2 branched.
o 2 jointed basal region-protopodite.
o Outer –exopodite
o Inner-endopodite
o Perform various functions.
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 15

Appendages
1.CEPHALIC APPENDAGES:
5 pairs of appendages
a) A pair of antennules
b) A pair of antennae
c) A pair of mandibles
d) 1st pair maxillae
e) 2nd pair maxillae
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17
A)ANTENNULES:
• Situated below the level of eye stalks.
• Also called 1st Antennae.
• Has a protopodite, an exopodite and an endopodite.
• Protopodite has 3 Podomeres-proximal Precoxa, Middle
Coxa And Distal Basis.
• Precoxa has a hollow depression on one side.
• It has eye and opening of balancing sense organ(statocyst)
at the base of it.
• Basis has short jointed flagella like exopodite and 18

endopodite act as tactile sense organ.

Outer feeler

Antennules

19
 B)ANTENNAE:
• 2nd antennae
• Lie behind antennules
• Has protopodite, exopodite and endopodite.
• Protopodite has 2 pdomeres- proximal coxa and distal basis.
• The opening of the excretory ducts lie on the coxa.
• Exo and endopodite lie on the basis
• Endopodite has 3 basal podomeres & a long narrow jointed filament
act as tactile sense organ.
• Exopodite is a flat broad plate-like structure called squame act as
balancing organ in  swimming.
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 C)MANDIBLES:
• Lie on either side of the mouth
• Has protopodite and endopodite;
exopodite is absent.
• Its spoon-shaped proximal part is
called the Apophysis, while the solid distal part is the head.
• The head consists of a stout molar process and a thin incisor process.
• The molar process is placed at right angles to the apophysis and carries
5 to 6 yellowish- brown teeth.
• The incisor process is placed in front of the oral aperture and bears
three closely set whitish teeth.
• A three-jointed mandibular palp arises from the outer side of the
head ,bears sensory setae and lies opposite the outer side of the incisor
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process helps in cutting and grinding process.
D)MAXILLULA (FIRST MAXILLA):

• It is the smallest of all the

appendages
• Placed behind the posterior lip
of the mouth.
• The maxillula consists of 3 foliaceous plates, the margins of which
are covered with sensory setae.
• Of the 3 plates, the 2 directed inwards are the jaws or gnathobases;
these are the coxa and basis if the protopodite.
• The third, directed outwards represents the endopodite.
• The exopodite is absent. 22

• The maxillula helps to push bed into the mouth.

E)MAXILLA (SECOND MAXILLA):

• Thin foliaceous appendage placed

behind the maxillula.
• Its peduncle consists of a much reduced
coxa and a larger bifurcated basis which projects inward is the endites or jaws.
• The large fan-shaped exopodite is known is the scaphognathite lies in front of
the gill-chamber.
• The small endopodite is placed between the exopodite and the endites.
• The maxilla has a two-fold function.
• The endites are used to push bod into the oral cavity.
• The scaphognathite helps in respiration by maintaining a constant flow of
water through the gill-chamber. 23
2.THORACIC APPENDAGES:
• 8 pairs of appendages.
• Anterior-3 pairs of Maxillipeds/Foot Jaws
• Posterior-5 pairs of Peraeopods/Walking Legs.

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A)FIRST MAXILLIPEDES:
• Thin & leaf-like structures
• Protopodite has 2 segments
- coxa & basis
• Inner margins has setae
• Outer side of the coxa has a bilobed structure called
epipodite , helps in respiration.
• Endopodite is short
• Exopodite is long & provided with a thin expanion at its25

base.
B) SECOND MAXILLIPEDE:
• Protopodite has 2 segments-
coxa & basis
• The coxa is short & covered with
setae on its inner margin
• It carries a small epiodite & a gill on its outer margin.
• Endopodite & exopodite is attached to the basis.
• Endopodite has 5 segments –ischium, merus, carpus,
propodus & dactylus.
• The propodus & the dactylus are bent & turned backwards
forming a knife-like cutting plate.
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• The exopodite is long, slender, unjointed and whip-like.

 C)THIRD MAXILLIPEDE:
• Leg – like appearance
• Protopodite has coxa & basis.
• The coxa has a thin epipodite
on its outer side.
• There is a slender unjointed exopodite attached to the outer
side of the basis which bears setae.
• The endopodite is 3 jointed-ischium is fused with the
merus, propodus with dactylus, & the carpus remains free.
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D)WALKING LEGS:
• 5 pairs
• 7 cylindrical segments arranged in a
linear series & movable by
hinging together.
• Exopodite absent
• Protopodite has coxa & basis.
• Endopodite has 5 segments- ischium,merus, carpus,pro-podus &
dactylus.
• The 1st & 2nd walking legs carry pincers at their proximal ends,
hence they are called as the chelate legs. 28

• The last 3 legs are non-chelate.

• 1st walking leg is small chela
• The 2nd walking leg is very much larger and bears spines
and setae-large chela.
• The walking legs help to crawl upon the river bed.
• The chelate legs helps in offence and defence, help in
holding the food before being taken.
• In female, gonopores are situated at the bases of the third
walking legs
• In male, they lie at the bases of the fifth walking legs.
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 3.ABDOMINAL APPENDAGES:
• 6 pairs of abdominal appendages called
pleopods/swimmerets which help in swimming.
• The 6th pleopod is called as uropod because they form
with the telson -a powerful tail-fin /tail-fan, which is
used for leaping backward & balancing.

T.S of Abdominal Appendage 30

FIRST PLEOPOD:
• In female, exopodite is flattened,
thick and fringed with
setose processes.
• Endopodite is absent/may be
present as a very small bud-like process.
• In male, endopodite is short and provided with hooks.
• The hooks of the  endopodites of the two sides interlock
and form a rod-like structure called the petasma which is
used for transferring sperms into the thelycum of female.
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SECOND-FIFTH PLEOPODS:
• The 2nd , 3rd , 4th & 5th pairs
of pleopods have a typical biramous
structure, with a two-jointed protopodite,
& unjointed exopodite and endopodite .
• Each of the 2nd , 3rd , 4th & 5th pleopod
bears on the inner side of its endopodite a hook-like rod called
appendix interna.
• The appendices internae of the two sides interlock with one another
during the breeding season, thereby forming a efficient basket for
carrying eggs.
• In male, 2nd pleopod bears rod-like process called appendix
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masculina .
SIXTH PLEOPODS (UROPODS):
• The 6th abdominal appendages
are known as uropods.
• Each uropod has a protopodite,
an exopodite & an endopodite.
• In protopodite, coxa & basis fuse to form one segment.
• The two uropods and the telson form the tail-fin or tail-
fan which acts as a balancing organ. Its sudden flexion
causes backward leap. 33
 ANATOMY OF PRAWN
I.DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:
• The alimentary system consists of the ALIMENTARY CANAL & the
DIGESTIVE GLAND.
• The alimentary canal extends from mouth to anus
• Consists of 3 distinct parts:
(1) Foregut Or Stomodoeum
(2) Midgut Or Mesenteron
(3) Hindgut Or Proctodoeum.
• Foregut consists of mouth, buccal cavity, oesophagus & stomach
• Midgut include intestine 34

• Hindgut has rectum.

L S of Alimentary canal

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 (1)FOREGUT
• It is internally lined by thick cuticle
• Consists of following parts:
(A) mouth:
• Broad opening on the ventral side of the cephalothorax b/w
the 3rd & 4th segments.
• It is bordered anteriorly by shield-like labrum
• Posteriorly by two-lobed labium
• Laterally by the incisor processes of the mandibles.
(B) buccal cavity:
• A small anterio-posteriorly flattened chamber b/w the mouth
& oesophagus. 36

• It has an irregularly folded lining of cuticle.

(C) OESOPHAGUS:
• It runs vertically upwards as a broad tube from the
buccal cavity
• Leads to the stomach.
• The inner lining is muscular
• Has one anterior, two lateral and one posterior folds.
• (D) stomach:
longest part of the fore gut
• Placed longitudinally within the cephalothorax.
• Divided into 2 parts
(i)Cardiac stomach
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(ii)Pyloric stomach
 (I) CARDIAC STOMACH:
o Large, spacious and bag-like anterior part of the stomach.
o Its inner cuticular wall is provided with ridges having minute
bristles.
o Following plates support its wall—circular plate in the
anterior part, lanceolate plate on the dorsal side of the
posterior part and a shield-shaped hastate plate in the mid-
ventral region.
o The posterior part of the hastate plate is depressed and reaches
up to the cardio-pyloric opening.
(II)Pyloric Stomach:
o Smaller and narrower than cardiac stomach 38
(2)Midgut
• Narrow & elongated part of the intestine
• Begins from the dorsal chamber of pyloric
stomach
• Runs along the mid-dorsal line up to the
sixth abdominal segment.
• Its internal epithelial lining at the posterior
part is folded.Thus the space within the 39

tube is reduced
(3)Hindgut
• It is also lined by thick cuticle
• Consists of following parts:
(A) Rectum:
• It is the swollen muscular region of the last part of intestine
having number as internal folds.
(B) Anus:
• This is the aperture through which the alimentary canal
opens to the exterior.
• It is a ventrally placed longitudinal slit-like opening 40

• Present near the base of the telson on a raised papilla.

 DIGESTIVE GLAND
• Only 1 D.G, Hepatopancreas, is present.
• It is an orange-yellow coloured
• Loosely arranged bilobed organ which encircles completely
the pyloric stomach, part of the intestine & partly the cardiac
stomach.
• One hepatopancreatic duct originates from each lobe
independently and opens separately within the pyloric
stomach, immediately after the pyloric filter plate.
• It absorbs digested food & can store it for future use. Thus,
this organ serves Double functions—Digestion And Storage.
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 FOOD & FEEDING:

- Feeds on small marine algae, other vegetation, small

insects, etc.
- The chelate legs collect and pass the food material
towards the mouth.
- The mandibles cut the food into small pieces.
- The maxillae and maxillipeds aid in swallowing the
food.
DIGESTION & ABSORPTION:
-Intercellular digestion
-Digestion takes place in stomach with the help of
hepatopancreas 42

-Absorption takes place in intestine

II.CIRCULATORY SYSTEM:
• The blood circulation in prawn is open type, i.e., Blood flows
through the body spaces.
• Such spaces are called Haemocoels.
• The circulatory system includes—Heart, Arteries, Pericardial
Membrane, Pericardial Sinus, Haemocoel, Blood Channel,
Blood(haemolymph)

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-The heart is a Triangular chamber.
-It lies in the pericardial space
-It is provided with paired openings called Ostia.
-Arteries are the main tubes which arise from the anterior and posterior regions of the
heart.
-The pericardial membrane lies below the dorsal body wall just above the alimentary
canal.
-The space between the dorsal body wall and the pericardial membrane is the
Pericardial Sinus.
-The spaces between the visceral organs form the Haemocoel.
-It contains Blood /Haemolymph.
-From the haemocoel blood goes to the gills through the blood channels.
-From the gills blood goes to the heart through blood channels.
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-The blood contains plasma, haemocytes /blood cells and the respiratory pigment
Haemocyanin.
CIRCULATION OF HAEMOLYMPH:

• Haemolymph in the pericardial sinus enters the heart through

the ostia.
• From the heart it reaches the haemocoel through the arteries.
• Then it is collected by the afferent blood channels and
returned to the pericardial sinus through the gills and efferent
blood channels
• Pericardial sinus→ Heart→ Haemocoel →Afferent ↑
Efferent blood channel ← Gills ←blood channel

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46
 III.RESPIRATORY SYSTEM:
• Well dlped R.S
• Consists of 8 pairs of gills,3 pairs of epipodites & lining of
branchiostegites/gill covers
• Found in gill chambers in thoracic region
• Scaphognathites/balars used for pumbing H₂O into gill chamber.

RS
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MECHANISM OF RESPIRATION
• There are two
branchial /gill chambers.
• They enclose highly
vascular respiratory organs (branchiae/gills, epipodites
& inner lining of the brachiostegites).
• The anterior ventral & posterior sides of each
chamber are open.
• The exopodite (scaphognathite) of the second maxilla
lies at the anterior region of the branchial chamber.
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• Its movement drives water out of the branchial chamber.
• So water from outside enters the chamber through the
posterior side
• A constant current of water flows over the respiratory
organs.
• Oxygen dissolved in the water diffuses into the blood in the
respiratory organs and carbon dioxide in the blood diffuses
into the water.
• The setose processes along the anterior, ventral and posterior
margins of the branchial or gill chambers prevent the entry
of foreign particles into the chambers. 49
IV.EXCRETORY SYSTEM:

• The ES consists of antennal glands/green glands &

exoskeleton.
• There is a pair of antennal or green glands.
• Each lies enclosed in the proximal segment (coxa) of
the antenna.
• It consits of an end sac, a coiled tube & a bladder
• The end sac is blind
• The tubular part is glandular
• The bladder is thin walled.

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• The bladder opens to the exterior by the
excretory pore.
• The end sac & the coiled tube are derivatives
of the mesoderm and their spaces are part of
the coelom.
• The body of prawn is covered by exoskeleton.
• It is shed during moulting.
• The nitrogenous waste materials are deposited
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on the exoskeleton and removed along with it.

 ES

• Green glands perform 2

Important functions:
1. Elimination of
Nitrogenous waste products
2. Maintains the osmotic equilibrium.
• In addition to green glands, gills and integumental covering are also
responsible for excretion.
• The exoskeleton at the time of its periodic replacement carries a large 52

quantity of excretory products.

 V.NERVOUS SYSTEM:
• It consists of supra-oesophageal ganglion /
brain, circum /peri-oesophageal connectives,
sub-oesophageal ganglion, nerve cord, thoracic
ganglia, abdominal ganglia and nerves 
• It is divisible into 3:
(A) Central Nervous System consist of Brain,
Circumoesophageal Connectives, Thoracic
Ganglionic Mass, Ventral Nerve Cord
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(B) Peripheral Nervous System has 2 kinds of fibres—motor &
sensory.
• The motor fibres carry instructions from the central nervous
system to different parts
• The sensory fibres are meant for bringing messages from
different corners of the body.

• Peripheral nerves seen in prawn are:

Optic nerve
Antennular nerve
Cephalothoracic nerve 54

Abdominal nerves
(C) AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM:

• It also includes several sense

organs to permit the entry of
different messages
from outside.
• It includes a few
minute ganglia and slender
nerves which are present
over the cardiac stomach
to supply involuntary parts 55

of the body. Nervous System

 (D)SENSE ORGANS:

1. TACTILE ORGANS:

• These sense organs are present along the margin of antenna and
other appendages.
• A typical tactile seta consists of:
(A) swollen base or shaft and
(B) pointed plumose with double rows of barbs.
• These are responsible for the sensation of touch.

TACTILE SETA
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 2.OLFACTORY SETAE:

• Present on the small inner branch of the outer feeler of the

first antenna.
• These organs differ from tactile setae in the absence of the
barbs in the plumose part
• These are responsible for smell.

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 3. STATOCYST:
• Inside the base (pre-coxa) of each antennule, the statocyst is present as a small, white
and spherical cuticular sac.
• In the central part of the sac, elongated and slender sensory setae are elliptically
arranged.
• Each seta consists of a pointed bristled end, called shaft, which is directed inwards
and an outer swollen base which is connected with a fine branch of statocyst nerve.
• In the area surrounded by the setae there are minute sand grains
• When the prawn moves, these inner sand grains are displaced at each change of
position.
• These displaced sand particles press against the sensory setae.
• Finer branches of statocyst nerve carry the information from each seta to the brain
and the animal corrects its loss of equilibrium. 58
OLFACTORY
SETAE

Shaft

STATOCYST
SETA

59
 4. EYE:

• Each movable and stalked eye is compound in nature, i.E., Made up of

several simple visual units
• Each unit is called an ommatidium or ocellus.
• Each ommatidium is divisible into2 parts-outer dioptrical region for
focussing the light rays falling from the object & inner retinal part or
receptor region for receiving light stimuli and serves to form the
image.
• The dioptrical region consists of cornea, corneagen cells, crystalline
cone and cone cells.
• The receptor region includes rhabdome, retinular cells and pigment
sheath.
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• Cornea→ Corneagen Cells→crystalline Cone→cone

Cell→ Rhabdome→ Retinular Cells → Pigment Sheath
 L S of Compound Eye
Ommatidium

VI.REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:
•Sexes are separate in prawn
•sexual dimorphism are prominent.
• The gonads are of different shapes and both occupy similar position. 
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(A)MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:
→It consists of:

1.TESTES:

• Paired, soft & white organs present above the hepatopancreas and beneath the heart.
• Anterior ends of testes are united but the posterior ends are free.
• Each testis includes numerous minute tubes, called seminiferous tubules, which
remain enclosed within connective tissue.
• Each tubule has an inner lining of a single layer of epithelial cell which transforms
into spermatozoa.
2. VAS DEFERENS:

• From the posterior end of each testis, a long much-coiled duct is seen called as vas
deferens, originates.
• It runs obliquely downwards and backwards between the thoracic wall and
abdominal flexor muscles towards the fifth walking leg. 62
3. SEMINAL VESICLES:
• Each vas deferens near the base of the fifth walking leg is
swollen vesicle called as seminal vesicle.
• It serves as a chamber in which sperm cells are temporarily
stored & transformed into small packets, called
spermatophores.
4. MALE GONOPORE:
• The base of each fifth walking leg contains a small opening,
called male gonopore, through which the seminal vesicle of
the corresponding side opens.
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• The gonopore is guarded by a small cuticular lid.

 (B) FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:
→It consists of:
1. Ovaries:
• Paired white and compact organs placed above the hepatopancreas and beneath the heart.
• The 2 ovaries are united at their both ends.
• Each ovary is bounded by a hard capsule within which egg cells or ova remain serially
arranged.
• The matured eggs remain near the margin and the immature eggs occupy the centre.

2. Oviducts:
• From the outer border & from near the middle of each ovary originates a short & wide
oviduct which runs straight downwards to the third walking leg.
3. Female gonopore:
• Present one on the inner side of each third walking leg as a small aperture is called the
64
female gonopre / reproductive opening.
• It acts as an outlet of oviducts.
Male Female
Among the sps of same age,the size is Size is comparatively smaller
large
Narrow abdomen Broad abdomen
Walking legs are closely set Walking legs are set apart
2nd walking leg is strongly developed 2nd walking legs is poorly developed
with numerous spines.
Appendix masculina is present in the 2nd Absent
pleopod
Testes are elongated with a long median 2 ovaries are fused at both ends & the
gap & posteror end is free. median gap is short
1st part of the reproductive structure – Oviduct is straight
Vas Deferens, is coiled
Reproductive openings / gonopore are Gonopore present near the base of 3rd
present near the base of 5th walking legs walking leg

Difference b/w a Male & a Female Prawn 65

MALE & FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

66
 BREEDING AND LIFE HISTORY OF PRAWN:
• Sperm cells are umbrella-like.
• The eggs/ova are rounding, yolk-filled & each egg contains a large nucleus.
• Reproduction takes place during rainy season.
• Fertilization is external
• The female carries the fertilized eggs within the abdominal basket. The
female releases the eggs in the water nauplius larva emerges from the egg.
Metanaupleus, protozoea , zoea,metazoea & mysis stages & becomes the
adult.
• When the exoskeleton of the larvae becomes hard,further growth & increase
in size is blocked. So the hard exoskeleton is shed and new soft exoskeletons
formed beneath it.
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• The periodical shedding of the old exoskeleton is termed Moulting/Ecdysis.

LOBSTER

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INTRODUCTION:
• Lobsters are marine crustaceans with large bodies.
• Also found brackish waters.
• Lobsters are classified under:
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustaceae
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Nephropidae
• They include clawed lobsters, spiny lobsters & slipper lobsters.
• 48 extant species under 12 genera.
• They are decapodes, has 10 walking legs with the first one being clawed.
• Good, efficient sensory system with antennae & antennules important especially
69

for those living in brackish water.

• Lobsters have a very hard exoskeleton made of chitin.
• Body size could be as high as 50cmlong
• Lobsters have a worldwide distribution, living in all the seas except
in the polar waters.
• Mostly prefer to live in the continental shelf including rocky,
muddy/sandy bottoms.
• Their hard & calcified exoskeleton is shed when they are ready to
grow their body size & this happens 3-4 times a year until they are
about six years old & after that they shed only once a year. This
exoskeleton is a good source of calcium for them to harden their
skin & they eat it after shedding.
• They are mainly omnivorous in feeding habits & eat both 70

phytoplankton & zooplankton.

Clawed Lobster
Rock Lobster

Spiny Lobster
Slipper Lobster
71
 MORPHOLOGY OF LOBSTER
Body plan:
• 2 main parts

1.Cephalothorax:
• Made up of the cephalon (the head) & the thorax (the mid-section)
• Often called the body of the lobster
• Covered by a hard shell called the Carapace.
• The 14 segments that are fused together to make up the cephalothorax
are called Somites
• Each somite bears a pair of appendages that are located on different
areas of the lobster, usually on either side of the body or on the
underside of the body.
72
• 1st segment bears eye.
• 2 compound eyes,attached to the either side of the rostrum
by movable stalks at the tip of cephalon.
• Lobsters are blind during bright light
• 2nd segment has antennules which are carried on a three-
segmented peduncle/foot.
• The antennules are fused to 2 flagella & carry
chemosensory organs which fn as nose of the lobster
• More than 400 types of chemoreceptors found on the hairs
of antennules which are sensitive to distinguish b/w
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particular sps.
• 3rd segment has antennae, consists of 5 segmented peduncle & a
single flagellum
• They are tactile sense organs
• The last 3 cephalic segments,from 4-6,& 3 thoracic segment,
from 7-9, bears mouth parts like mandibles/jaws, 1st
maxillae,2nd maxillae, 1st maxillipeds,2nd maxillipeds & 3rd
maxillepeds
• 1st&2nd maxillae &1st maxillipeds are flat,leaf-like plates used
to pass food back to the jaws for crushing & ingestion
• The 2nd &3rd maxillipeds are more leg-like so that they can grip
food.
• The mouth is covered by upper (labrum) and lower (paragnath)
74

lips.
• The remaining 10-14 segments bear the 5 pairs of thoracic
walking legs/pereiopods
• The 1st three legs end in a chela or pincer, with the 1st chelae is
the largest ,called as the claws,which are used in food
acquisition & bear many taste organs.
• The crusher claw are more powerful & used to crush the prey.
It is a razor-like structure used to tear the preys
• The 4th &5th legs lack pincers, ending in a pointed dactyl& are
mainly used for grooming &walking.
• In females, the opening of the oviducts is located at the base of
the third walking leg
• In males, the opening of the sperm duct is located on the base75
of the 5th walking legs
76
2.ABDOMEN :
• Commonly called the tail.  
• 6 segments
• Nt fused like cephalothorax
• To allow flexibility of the body
• The 1st 5 segments,15-19,are paired pleopods & act as
swimmerets which are located on the underside of the tail
• The last,6th segment, has tail fan which has
telson&uropods at both sides
• Uropods are modified pleopods. 77
 ANATOMY OF LOBSTER
I.DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:
• Long tract
• 3 regions-foregut, midgut, hindgut
• Food is handled& processed by the mouthparts
• Then is crushed by the mandibles before being swallowed.
• Afterwards it enters the muscular esophagus which is lined with mechano-
(touch)& chemoreceptors (taste) & is capable of great distention.
• When the sensory organs within the oesophagus are stimulated, they cause a
rhythmic  contraction & relaxation of the muscles lining the esophagus which
helps to push food into the anterior chamber of the stomach/the cardiac
stomach. This chamber contains folds that permit it to expand and fill with
food. It usually has numerous hairs (setae)that help to mix & macerate the
food& has numerous ossicles (calcified structures) that serve as attachment 78
sites for extrinsic muscles.
• Pyloric stomach has gastric mill-triangular structure has a row of
tooth on either sides which ac as like gizzard to grind the food into
fine particles.
• Then they are filtered by ridges has densely packed feather-like hairs
• Then they are digested & absorbed into the haemolymph (blood)
• Then they goes to tubular portion of the midgut found both in the
cephalothorax & continuing through the entire abdomen. Some of the
end products of digestion are absorbed into the hemolymph there.
• The remaining material is packaged into fecal pellets surrounding by
a mucous membrane. Contractions of the midgut force the pellets
along to the hindgut and into the enlarged rectum. Rapid rectal
contractions push the pellets out the anus at the base of the telson.

79
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

80
 II.CIRCULATORY SYSTEM:
•  Single-chambered sac consisting of striated muscles
with several openings called ostia
• Surrounded by a blood sinus called the pericardium
which lies directly above the pyloric stomach on the
dorsal side just under the carapace.
• The blood/haemolymph passes from the pericardium
through the ostia & into the heart
• Blood returns to the heart through interconnecting
spaces known as venous sinuses which open back into 81

the pericardium -An open circulatory system

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
82
83
 III.RESPIRATORY SYSTEM:
• 20 pairs of gills lie within 2 branchial chambers on either side of the
cephalothorax
• The gills are of the trichobranch type
• Composed of numerous hair-like filaments arranged around a central
rod.
• Water enters the branchial chambers through openings between the
thoracic legs, passes up over the gills & out anteriorly (toward the
lobster's head) in a current produced by the beating of the gill bailer/
scaphognathite of the 2nd maxillae. This current reverses every few
minutes to clear the gills of debris and flush it out of the branchial
chamber.

84
• The forward projecting nature of the gill
current is important in that urine is released
into it and projected forward.
• It is thought that the urine may contain
important information about an animal's
gender, sexual receptivity, physiological state

85
 IV.EXCRETORY SYSTEM:
• Green glands are the excretory organs
• Waste products are toxic in nature and alters ionic balances in the
blood is eliminated by green glands
• Located at the bases of the antennae.
• They are called the green glands because of their color& consist of a
glandular sac & a coiled tube that opens into a muscular bladder.
• It is from the nephropores at the base of the antennal segment that
urine is released.
• Waste products can also be eliminated through the gills, the digestive
glands, the integument/skin lost when the animal sheds(ecdysis), and
through phagocytes ("eating cells") in the gills.

86
 V.REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:
1.FEMALE R.S:
• Ovaries are located in the cephalothorax, extend
through the abdomen& are similar to the form of an
"H".
• The cross-bar is found at the forward margin of the
heart, just behind the pyloric stomach.
• Paired oviducts emerge just below the heart and run
downward toward the base of the third pair of thoracic
legs.
• There they meet the seminal receptacle, a bluish
structure extending from the third walking legs. 87
2.MALE R.S:
• The testes are variable in shape & may be either
longitudinally paired or h-shaped.
• Paired ducts, called the vas deferentia, emerge just below the
heart& run downward toward the 5th walking legs.
• Along this course, they become thicker & glandular & then
they become narrow & thin-walled to form the duct.
• The thick, glandular portion of the vas deferentia secrete a
gelatinous matrix over the sperm to form dense packets of
sperm called spermatophores.
• During mating, the male transfers a spermatophore to the
female.
88
CONCLUSION:
• Prawn & lobster are decapod crustaceans
• Bt there are much difference in their morphology and anatomy
• Lobsters have a clawed leg bt prawns cannot
• Exoskeleton of lobsters are much harder than prawn
• Lobsters are fascinating creatures with many interesting qualities
• Prawn are diversified than lobsters
• Lobsters have larger than prawn having size of 50cm, bt prawn are of
32cm long
• Prawns are universal
• Lobsters do not found in polar regions 89
REFERENCE:
Maiti. K.N(2013).Text Book Of Fish Biology & Ecology .
Swasthik Publications , New Delhi
Cobb Stanley .J & Philips B Bruce(1980).The Biology &
Management Of Lobsters . Academic Press , New
York,463pp.
Kotpal .L. R(1983). Arthropoda . Rastogi
Publications,meerut,490pp
www.lobsters.org

www.parl.ns.ca 90
SS

91