Ecology of Aquatic Crustaceans: Crabs, Shrimps and Lobsters

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 301

Special Issue Editors

College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China
Interests: healthy aquaculture; aquatic crustaceans; eco-physiology; environmental stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China
Interests: environmental stress; aquatic physiology; intestine microbiota; nutritional immunity; healthy aquaculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquatic crustaceans, including crabs, shrimps, and lobsters, play pivotal roles in maintaining the balance of marine and freshwater ecosystems. They serve as keystone species in nutrient cycling, sediment dynamics, and food webs while supporting global fisheries and aquaculture industries. However, rapid environmental changes—such as pollution, climate change, anthropogenic disturbances, etc.—are increasingly threatening their survival, ecological functions, and the sustainability of associated fisheries. Understanding the interplay between environmental factors and the ecology of these crustaceans is critical for developing effective conservation strategies and ensuring ecosystem resilience.

This Special Issue warmly welcomes original research and review articles that explore the environmental ecology of aquatic crustaceans, with a focus on their responses to ecological stressors, adaptive mechanisms, and broader implications for ecosystem health. We welcome interdisciplinary studies integrating field observations, experimental approaches, and advanced technologies to address pressing ecological challenges.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Hui Guo
Dr. Yafei Duan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • crustaceans
  • environmental stress
  • eco-physiology
  • biochemistry
  • pollutants
  • healthy aquaculture
  • adaptive mechanisms

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 2449 KiB  
Article
Toxic Effects of Acute Water Selenium Exposure on Litopenaeus vannamei: Survival, Physiological Responses, Transcriptome, and Intestinal Microbiota
by Xinghui Luo, Jian Chen, Asare Derrick, Gongyu Li, Hongming Wang, Zhihao Xue, Lili Shi and Shuang Zhang
Animals 2025, 15(12), 1792; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15121792 - 18 Jun 2025
Abstract
Excess selenium (Se) can cause a variety of toxic effects in aquatic animals. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive studies about the toxicity effects of Se in culture water on shrimp. Based on the 96 h acute toxicity test, which confirmed [...] Read more.
Excess selenium (Se) can cause a variety of toxic effects in aquatic animals. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive studies about the toxicity effects of Se in culture water on shrimp. Based on the 96 h acute toxicity test, which confirmed the 96 h LC50 of Se (Na2SeO3) for Litopenaeus vannamei as 2.69 mg/L, L. vannamei (7.25 ± 0.05 g) were divided into three groups (named CON, S1 and S2) and exposed to Se at concentrations of 0, 0.0269 (0.01 × 96 h LC50), and 0.269 (0.1 × 96 h LC50) mg/L in the water for 72 h, respectively. The toxic effects of Se exposure on L. vannamei were evaluated based on histopathology, oxidative stress, immunity, apoptosis, transcriptional responses, and intestinal microbiota. Results demonstrated that Se exposure induced structural damage to the hepatopancreas of L. vannamei, including hepatocyte vacuolation and necrosis. Compared to the CON group, serum Caspase-3 activity significantly increased, while Bcl-2 activity markedly decreased in the S1 and S2 groups (p < 0.05). No significant differences in Bax activity were observed among groups (p > 0.05). ROS content, as well as activities of SOD, PO, GSH-PX, LYS, AKP, and ACP, exhibited an upward trend under Se exposure (p < 0.05). However, MDA levels showed no significant intergroup differences (p > 0.05). Hemocyte transcriptomic analysis revealed 2103 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (1294 upregulated, 809 downregulated) in the S2 group compared to CON. GO enrichment indicated significant enrichment of DEGs in cellular processes, binding, and cell components. KEGG pathway analysis highlighted prominent enrichment in ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes, lysosome, cell cycle, and pancreatic secretion pathways. Intestinal microbiota analysis showed that the Shannon, Simpson, and Pielou indices in the S2 group were significantly lower than those in the CON group (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Vibrio and Acinetobacter increased significantly in the S2 group, while Enterococcus and Pseudomonas decreased markedly (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Se exposure triggered elevated immune enzyme activities, induced oxidative damage and apoptosis, transcriptional level metabolic disorders, and disrupted intestinal microbiota structure in L. vannamei. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Aquatic Crustaceans: Crabs, Shrimps and Lobsters)
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