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Function and Functional Groupings of the Complex Mouth Apparatus of the Squat Lobsters Munida sarsi Huus and M. tenuimana G.O. Sars (Crustacea: Decapoda)

Department of Zoomorphology, Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Algarm{at}zi.ku.dk

Like all other decapods, the anomuran squat lobsters Munida sarsi and M. tenuimana have a mouth apparatus composed of six pairs of mouthparts plus labrum and paragnaths (upper and lower lips). To study the functional significance of this complexity, we examined the mouthparts with scanning electron microscopy and also observed their function directly, under laboratory conditions, using macro-video equipment. No differences were found between the two species. The movement patterns of the mouthparts are described in detail and illustrated as serial drawings. Proceeding from maxillipeds 3 towards the mandibles, the movement pattern gets increasingly stereotypical, with the mandibles performing but a single movement in a medio-lateral plane. From morphology, the mouthparts are subdivided into 20 parts, but from the functional analyses the 20 parts form 8 functional groups: 1, transporting mouthparts (maxilliped 2 endopod and maxilliped 3 endopod); 2, transporting–aligning mouthparts (maxilliped 1 basis); 3, sorting–aligning mouthparts (maxilla 1 basis and maxilla 2 basis); 4, current–generating mouthparts (flagella of maxilliped 2 and maxilliped 3 exopods); 5, cutting–crushing mouthparts (incisor and molar processes, labium, and mandibular palp); 6, ingesting mouthparts (maxilla 1 coxa, maxilla 2 coxa, and maxilliped 1 coxa); 7, respiratory mouthparts (scaphognathite, maxilliped 1 epipod, and maxilliped 2 and maxilliped 3 exopods); and 8, dorso-ventral mouthparts (maxilla 1 endopod, maxilla 2 endopod, maxilliped 1 endopod, and maxilliped 1 exopod). These groupings apply mostly to the processes of food handling and have little significance with respect to grooming. When comparing our results to the literature on other decapods, we found much resemblance to conditions in other anomurans.

Abbreviations: Lb, labrum • Inc, incisor process • Mp, molar process • Mdp, mandibular palp • Mx1 cox, maxilla 1 coxa • Mx1 bas, maxilla 1 basis • Mx1 endo, maxilla 1 endopod • Mx2 cox, maxilla 2 coxa • Mx2 bas, maxilla 2 basis • Mx2 endo, maxilla 2 endopod • Scapho, scaphognathite • Mxp1 cox, maxilliped 1 coxa • Mxp1 bas, maxilliped 1 basis • Mxp1 endo, maxilliped 1 endopod • Mxp1 exo, maxilliped 1 exopod • Mxp1 epi, maxilliped 1 epipod • Mxp2 endo, maxilliped 2 endopod • Mxp2 exo, maxilliped 2 exopod • Mxp3 endo, maxilliped 3 endopod • Mxp3 exo, maxilliped 3 exopod

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