Cardiovascular system of anomuran crabs, genus Lopholithodes

The cardiovascular systems of Puget Sound king crabs, Lopholithodes mandtii, and brown box crabs, Lopholithodes foraminatus, were mapped using corrosion casting techniques. Both species have a similar external morphology and a very similar cardiovascular system. Seven arteries (five arterial systems) arise from the heart. The small anterior aorta exits from the anterior surface of the heart and supplies hemolymph to the eyestalks and brain region. The pathway of the two sets of paired arteries, the anterolateral arteries and hepatic arteries, is close, and they intertwine with one another during their initial course. The anterolateral arteries exit from the anterior dorsal surface of the heart and supply hemolymph to the hypodermis, cardiac stomach, antennal gland, and mandibular muscles, whereas the hepatic arteries branch profusely within the hepatopancreas. The lithodids are believed to have evolved from hermit crab ancestors; indicative of these evolutionary origins the posterior aorta is well developed and supplies hemolymph to the large abdomen and the gonads. Exiting from the ventral surface of the heart, the sternal artery is the largest in the system. It branches to supply the mouthparts, chelae, and pereiopods. The differing arrangement of this vessel compared with that of the pagurid anomurans is due to the more carcinized (crab-like) morphological features of the lithodid anomurans. The arrangement of vessels supplying the gills is different compared with that of brachyuran crabs; the infrabranchial sinus joins to the afferent gill vessels at their midpoint, rather than along the ventral edge. In general, the circulatory system of the lithodid crabs is somewhat simpler than that of brachyuran crabs, with fewer branching capillary-like networks. Nevertheless, it is still very complex. In accordance with anatomical descriptions of blue crabs and cancrid crabs it would also seem appropriate to classify the lithodid circulatory system as one that is incompletely closed.