Download The Lobster Conservancy

A glimpse at lobsters
By Kevin Kim
This poster will walk through the physiological structures and
function of lobsters. It will start off with its general body plan and
move on to physiological systems including circulatory, respiratory,
digestive, nervous and reproductive systems.
Body plan
Lobsters are bisymmetrical with 3
divisions of the body (head,
abdomen and thorax). They have
5 pairs of walking legs. The first
three walking legs are equipped
to taste and are used for acquiring
food. The last 2 legs are used
primarily for walking and
grooming. Within females, they’re
the opening to release eggs.
http://www.lobster.um.maine.edu
/index.php?page=47
http://visual.merriamwebster.com/images/animalkingdom/crustaceans/lobster/anatomylobster.jpgA general overview of the
lobster’s internal anatomy. This shows
where the heart and arteries are located.
http://crustastun.com/assets/im
ages/Nervous_system_Lobster.jp
gA view of the lobster’s nervous
anatomy. Contains the location of
the brain and various other
organs for sensing such as the
abdominal nerve chords and
antenna.
http://www.talbotcentral.ucr.edu/AAA_03_research/A
AA_03E_research/Mating.jpgA picture of 2 lobsters
copulating. Shows the general idea of mating
behaviors.
Digestive
The digestive system can be summarized
by the mouth, esophagus and 3 parts of
the stomach. The first region of it’s
stomach uses citae to help break down
the food. It is then transferred to the
gastric mill which grinds the food. It is
then passed to the pyloric stomach.
http://nelson.beckman.illinois.edu/cours
es/neuroethol/models/lobster_digestion
/lobster_digest.html
A general idea of a lobster’s body
structure. This picture contains
visuals of it’s claws, tail, legs and
antennae.
http://visual.merriam-webster.com/images/animalkingdom/crustaceans/lobster/anatomy-lobster.jpgA
diagram showing the general idea of how blood flows
in the lobster’s single chamber heart.
http://finemainelobster.com/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2010/02/lobster-forensics.jpg
The lobster’s body broken into several pieces.
This gives a better understanding of each
individual segment of the lobsters. The tail fin,
and claws and walking legs are now displayed
separately to get a better view of the structure.
Nervous
Lobster’s nervous systems are made from bilateral
ganglia in each of the three segments (head,
abdomen and thorax.) Their system can be divided
into brain, circumesophageal connectives, and a
ventral nerve cord. Lobsters can also use antennae
for as a chemical sensor.
http://w3.shorecrest.org/~Lisa_Peck/MarineBio/syll
abus/ch7invertebrates/Invertwp/2007/blair/NERV.h
tml
http://lanwebs.lander.edu/faculty/rsfox/inve
rtebrates/images/crab45La_x550_x_349x.gif
A general overview of the lobster’s internal
anatomy. This diagram maps out the
location of the stomach and other digestive
organs.
Respiratory
Lobsters have 20 pairs of gills. The
water flows through the legs
located in the thorax. It then flows
through the gills and is released
out of an opening near the head.
The gills influence the direction in
which water flows through the
lobsters and it will switch the
currents in order to excrete
chemicals absorbed in the water
http://www.parl.ns.ca/lobster/images/l
obsterdiagram.jpg
An illustration of the lobster’s general
exterior body. Contains labels of each
parts of the lobsters body.
circulatory
Lobster have an open circulatory
system. Lobsters have singe
chambered hearts with openings
called Ostia. Their hearts are
suspended by sinus. The arteries
extend to the abdomen and flows
through cavities. The blood flows
back to the heart through Venus
sinesis.
http://www.lobsters.org/tlcbio/bio
logy5.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/gif/lobster.gifA very
general diagram of the lobster’s nervous system. Shows the
location of the brain from an exterior view as well as the cervical
ganglion.
http://www.nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk/im
ages/content/lobster%20gills%20closeup.jpgA close up of a lobster’s gills.
http://jeb.biologists.org/content/207/21/3765.figures-onlyA
diagram of a lobsters brain and it’s structure.
http://accessscience.com/loadBinary.aspx?
aID=5702&filename=309800FG0020.gif
A diagram of the lobster’s heart. This
diagram gives a better understanding of
the figure and structure of the single
chambered heart.
reproduction
The female’s ovaries extend
towards the abdomen from
the cephalothorax. The male’s
tests run from the bottom of
the hear to the fifth pair of
walking legs. During
copulation, the female first
sheds her exoskeleton, then
the male inserts a gonopod
into the female’s receptical.
http://www.talbotcentral.ucr.e
du/index.php?content=AA_03
E_research.html
http://www.talbotcentral.ucr.edu/index.p
hp?content=AA_03E_research.htmlA
picture of the female lobster’s ovaries
from the exterior view.
Bibliography
Biotemp." The Lobster Conservancy. Web.
05 May 2012.
<http://www.lobsters.org/tlcbio/biology5.
html>.
"Lobster & Shrimp: Nervous
System." Classroom Redirect. Web. 05 May
2012.
<http://w3.shorecrest.org/~Lisa_Peck/Ma
rineBio/syllabus/ch7invertebrates/Invertw
p/2007/blair/NERV.html>.
"The Lobster Institute: Anatomy &
Biology." The Lobster Institute: Home.
Web. 05 May 2012.
<http://www.lobster.um.maine.edu/index.
php?page=47>.
"Neuroethology: Digestion in the
Lobster." Nelson Lab Home. Web. 05 May
2012.
<http://nelson.beckman.illinois.edu/cours
es/neuroethol/models/lobster_digestion/l
obster_digest.html>.
"Welcome to Talbot Central." Welcome to
Talbot Central. Web. 05 May 2012.
<http://www.talbotcentral.ucr.edu/index.p
hp?content=AA_03E_research.html>.