Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology in Crustaceans

Crustaceans exhibit an open circulatory system in which a neurogenic dorsal heart pumps haemolymph through arteries into the hemocoel, bathing tissues directly before returning via ostial valves. Gas exchange occurs primarily at specialised gill lamellae, where dissolved oxygen diffuses into the haemolymph and carbon dioxide is expelled. Oxygen transport relies on the copper-containing respiratory protein haemocyanin, which displays cooperative binding and allosteric modulation to optimise oxygen uptake and release under varying environmental conditions. Coordination between cardiac output—determined by heart rate and stroke volume—and ventilatory movements of branchial chambers ensures efficient gas exchange, particularly during locomotion, feeding or exposure to hypoxia and thermal stress. Neurohormonal and metabolic signals finely tune this integration, allowing crustaceans to inhabit diverse aquatic habitats from intertidal zones to deep-sea environments. Understanding these systems sheds light on evolutionary adaptations across Malacostraca and informs practical applications in aquaculture, environmental monitoring and climate change resilience studies.

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Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology in Crustaceans publication trend

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Technical terms

Haemolymph: The circulating fluid in crustaceans, equivalent to blood and interstitial fluid in vertebrates.

Haemocyanin: A copper-based oxygen-transport protein in the haemolymph that binds oxygen cooperatively.

Open circulatory system: A system where haemolymph is pumped into body cavities, directly bathing organs before returning to the heart.

Ostia: Valved openings in the heart wall through which haemolymph re-enters the cardiac chamber.

Stroke volume: The volume of haemolymph ejected by the heart in a single contraction.

Cooperative binding: A mechanism where binding of one oxygen molecule to haemocyanin increases the affinity for additional oxygen molecules.

References

1. Cardiac activity of crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens 1868) in different physiological states. Principles of the Ecology (2017).
2. The Circulatory System in Malacostraca - Evaluating Character Evolution on the Basis of Differing Phylogenetic Hypotheses. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny (2009).
3. The Allosteric Effector l-Lactate Induces a Conformational Change of 2×6-meric Lobster Hemocyanin in the Oxy State as Revealed by Small Angle X-ray Scattering*. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2001).