HAEMOCYTE CHARACTERIZATION IN INVASIVE CARCINUS MAENAS (LINNAEUS, 1758) (DECAPODA, PORTUNIDAE) FROM UNPOLLUTED VS POLLUTED SITES IN ARGENTINA

FRIZZERA ANTONELLA; CLARA SAMARTINO; SANTO ALDO; JAMIE BOJKO; VÁZQUEZ NURIA

CRUSTACEANA

BRILL ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS

Lugar: Leiden; Año: 2022 vol. 95 p. 1083 - 1099

0011-216X

Pollution, biological invasions and climate change pose the greatest threats to biodiversityworldwide. Few studies explore the interlink between invasive species and local pollution sites. Thisstudy describes the type and cytochemical properties of haemocytes from invasive Carcinus maenason the southwestern Atlantic coast (Argentina). Moreover, the morphology of haemocytes and thetotal haemocyte count (THC) as well as the differential haemocyte count (DHC) of crabs sampled atclean or unpolluted and polluted sites were compared, to determine whether environmental stresseswere evident in their haemocytes. Our results revealed two groups or subpopulations of haemocytes:hyalinocytes, as well as granulocytes and semi-granulocytes. The type of haemocyte from crabsfrom both sites showed no differences in their morphology. For cytochemical assays, only neutralred dye showed a more intense staining of crab haemocytes at the polluted site. All haemocytes werepositive to Periodic Acid-Schiff and Sudan Black. THC of crabs from the clean site were significantlyhigher, as well as having a significantly higher proportion of hyalinocytes and a lower proportion ofgranular cells. This study provides a baseline immunological assessment for C. maenas haemocytes,suggesting a differential haemocytic response to environmental stress.