Feeding by penaeid prawns: the role of the anterior mouthparts

• Published in: Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology 1992-01, Vol.160 (1), p.33-46
• Main Authors: Hunt, Marina J., Winsor, Heather, Alexander, C.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anterior mouthpart; Biological and medical sciences; Crustacea; Food ingestion; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Invertebrates; Labrum; Marine; Morphology. Histology. Cytology; Paragnath; Penaeus merguiensis
• ISSN: 0022-0981; 1879-1697
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-0981(92)90108-M

Penaeid prawns can feed micro- and macrophagously. During ingestion food secured by the pereiopods and maxillipeds III and II is manoeuvered into the oesophagus by the co-ordinated action of maxillipeds I, maxillae II and I, the paragnaths, mandibles and labrum. Prey items >5.00 mm 2 are pushed directly between the mandibles by the strongly hooked setae on the basipodites of maxillae I, while particulate food (8–20 μm in diameter) is pushed between the bases of the paragnaths by specialised brush like setae on the coxopodites of maxillae I. In both processes, all materials transferred to the mouth is entangled in secretions from the rosette glands of the paragnaths, resulting in a coherent bolus of material which is passed into the oesophagus by the posterior feeding process of the labrum. Direct examination of these processes and statistical analysis of their movements shows a strong correlation between movements of maxillae I, the paragnaths and labrum. Mandibular movements however, appear independent of these, suggesting that although penaeid prawns prefer to feed macrophagously they can efficiently ingest particulate food without the need of mandibular occlusion and undue energy expenditure.