Biodiversity, Conservation, and Application of Crustaceans

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Conservation Biology and Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2027 | Viewed by 4303

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Applied Taxonomic Research Center, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
2. Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, International College, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Interests: crustacea; biodiversity; ecology; distribution; limnology; systematics; taxonomy; water quality; biodiversity & conservation; zooplankton ecology

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Guest Editor
Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C., Calle IPN 195, La Paz 23096, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Interests: crustacean biodiversity; conservation; application

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Crustaceans are a highly diverse and ecologically important group of arthropods with significant roles in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as notable economic applications. Their biodiversity is extensive, comprising a wide range of species inhabiting marine, freshwater, and even some terrestrial environments. Conservation efforts are crucial due to the threats crustaceans face from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Furthermore, crustaceans have numerous applications, including their use as food, in aquaculture, as bioindicators, and even in biomedical research. They demonstrate considerable morphological and physiological adaptations that enable them to flourish in various environments, including freshwater springs, the deep sea, and desert regions. Freshwater crustaceans, constituting approximately 15% of all crustacean species, play a crucial role in ecological processes and are significantly susceptible to extinction as a result of habitat degradation. Examples of crustacean diversity include copepods, cladocerans, fairy shrimps, krill, crabs, shrimps, lobsters, and isopods, each playing unique functions within their ecosystems.

Numerous crustacean species are confronting problems from habitat degradation, pollution, climate change, and overfishing. Conservation initiatives are needed to protect crustacean habitats, manage fisheries sustainably, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Crustaceans such as crabs, shrimp, prawns, and lobsters serve as a valuable source of protein and nutrients for the human diet. Many crustacean species are commercially cultured for food, contributing to the global sea or freshwater food supply. Crustaceans can be used as bioindicators to assess the health and quality of aquatic ecosystems. Changes in their populations or physiology may indicate pollution or other environmental stresses. Certain crustaceans have been utilized in biomedical research, encompassing investigations in neurobiology and toxicity.

This Special Issue aims to publish the latest studies on crustacean biodiversity, biology, conservation, and application.

Suggested themes and article types for submissions

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: crustacean aquaculture, distribution, ecological niches, ecology, evolution, experimental toxicology, genetic diversity, habitats, phylogenetic relationship, reproduction, taxonomy, and other related aspects.

We look forward to receiving your contributions

Prof. Dr. Laorsri Sanoamuang
Dr. Alejandro M. Maeda-Martinez
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • application
  • aquaculture
  • aquatic ecology
  • biodiversity and conservation
  • crustaceans
  • evolutionary biology
  • experimental toxicology
  • genetic diversity
  • phylogenetic relationships
  • taxonomy and classification

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 5977 KB  
Article
Ecological Interactions on Sandy Beach Ecosystems: A Global Synthesis of Mole Crabs and New Insights into Emerita brasiliensis and Emerita rathbunae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura, Hippidae)
by Rayane Romão Saad Abude, Michel E. Hendrickx, José Salgado-Barragán, Mayra I. Grano-Maldonado, Martín García-Varela, Alvaro Esteves Migotto, Joel Campos de Paula, Matheus Augusto, Daniel Andrade Moreira, Thiago Estevam Parente, Gisele Lôbo-Hajdu and Tatiana Medeiros Barbosa Cabrini
Biology 2026, 15(4), 311; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15040311 - 10 Feb 2026
Viewed by 936
Abstract
Sandy beaches are dynamic intertidal ecosystems where ecological interactions play a critical yet often overlooked role in shaping community structure and population dynamics. This study presents a global synthesis of ecological interactions involving mole crabs of the genus Emerita (Crustacea: Decapoda: Hippidae), complemented [...] Read more.
Sandy beaches are dynamic intertidal ecosystems where ecological interactions play a critical yet often overlooked role in shaping community structure and population dynamics. This study presents a global synthesis of ecological interactions involving mole crabs of the genus Emerita (Crustacea: Decapoda: Hippidae), complemented by new field and laboratory findings. Through a literature review and targeted sampling, we documented multiple interaction types, including predation, parasitism, epibiosis, competition, and symbiosis, highlighting their ecological and potential evolutionary implications. Predation and parasitism were the most frequently reported interactions worldwide. Our new empirical observations revealed, for the first time, the association of Eucheilota (Hydrozoa) and Maritrema sp. (Digenea) with E. rathbunae, as well as annual infection patterns by Profilicollis altmani (Acanthocephala) and algal epibiosis in E. brasiliensis. These interactions influence key biological processes such as burrowing, reproduction, and survival, ultimately affecting species distribution and population structure. Overall, our findings reinforce the central role of ecological interactions in the functioning and conservation of sandy beach ecosystems, particularly under growing anthropogenic pressures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Conservation, and Application of Crustaceans)
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15 pages, 5106 KB  
Article
Growth Performance and Biochemical Profiles of Fairy Shrimp (Streptocephalus sirindhornae) Fed Natural Diets at Low and High Stocking Densities
by Kosit Sriphuthorn, Naiyana Senasri and Prapatsorn Dabseepai
Biology 2026, 15(2), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15020117 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 643
Abstract
This study investigates the growth performance, gut content composition, and biochemical profiles of the fairy shrimp Streptocephalus sirindhornae cultured with natural diets under low and high stocking densities (20 and 40 ind. L−1). Fairy shrimp were reared for 15 days in [...] Read more.
This study investigates the growth performance, gut content composition, and biochemical profiles of the fairy shrimp Streptocephalus sirindhornae cultured with natural diets under low and high stocking densities (20 and 40 ind. L−1). Fairy shrimp were reared for 15 days in 1 m3 floating cages placed in earthen ponds. On day 15, individuals in the low-density treatment exhibited significantly greater body weight (0.074 ± 0.013 g) and total length (20.97 ± 0.90 mm) than those in the high-density group. A total of 54 food taxa were identified in the gut contents, with phytoplankton comprising the dominant fraction (91%). In contrast, 105 food taxa were recorded in the culture ponds, including 54 phytoplankton and 51 zooplankton taxa; chlorophytes (27 taxa, 50%) and rotifers (33 species, 63.46%) were the most diverse groups. Fairy shrimp feeding on natural pond foods exhibited high levels of essential amino acids, with monounsaturated fatty acids dominating and linoleic acid (C18:2n6c) representing the principal polyunsaturated fatty acid. Overall, the results indicate that low-density rearing enhances fairy shrimp growth, while the high diversity of natural food organisms contributes to the favorable nutritional composition of S. sirindhornae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Conservation, and Application of Crustaceans)
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28 pages, 13047 KB  
Article
Two New Species of the Taxonomically Ambiguous Mongolodiaptomus birulai Group from Southwestern China and Southeast Asia (Crustacea, Copepoda, Calanoida, Diaptomidae)
by Rachada Chaicharoen and Laorsri Sanoamuang
Biology 2025, 14(12), 1766; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14121766 - 10 Dec 2025
Viewed by 885
Abstract
Currently, the synonymy of the two morphologically analogous copepod species, Mongolodiaptomus birulai (Rylov, 1922) and M. formosanus Kiefer, 1937, remains doubtful. While examining the detailed morphology of diaptomid copepods from China, Cambodia, and Vietnam, we came across two undescribed species whose morphology is [...] Read more.
Currently, the synonymy of the two morphologically analogous copepod species, Mongolodiaptomus birulai (Rylov, 1922) and M. formosanus Kiefer, 1937, remains doubtful. While examining the detailed morphology of diaptomid copepods from China, Cambodia, and Vietnam, we came across two undescribed species whose morphology is closely similar to that of M. birulai from Northeast China and M. formosanus from Taiwan. In this paper, descriptions of M. parabirulai sp. nov. from Yunnan, Southwestern China, and M. longiserratus sp. nov. from Cambodia and Vietnam are presented. The first new species, M. parabirulai sp. nov., can be distinguished from its congeners in the male P5 by it having the distal outer portion of the second right exopod produce a wing-shaped expansion and its strongly robust left and right basis. The second new species, M. longiserratus sp. nov., can be differentiated by the following characteristics in the male: the spiniform process on segment 20 of the right antennule is longer than that of segment 21 and has a serrate outer margin, and the right P5 basis has two (longitudinal and semicircular) hyaline lamellae. Furthermore, the status of M. birulai and M. formosanus is reviewed and recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Conservation, and Application of Crustaceans)
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16 pages, 4760 KB  
Article
The Stone Moroko Pseudorasbora parva Altered the Composition and Stability of Sediment Microbial Communities Within the Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) Polyculture Pond
by Yiran Hou, Yun Bao, Rui Jia, Linjun Zhou, Lili Song, Baojuan Yang, Bing Li and Jian Zhu
Biology 2025, 14(9), 1297; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14091297 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1024
Abstract
Integrated aquaculture, centered around polyculture involving multiple species, is a typical practice for the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry, capable of enhancing resource utilization efficiency, environmental stability, and overall productivity through establishing symbiotic interactions among species. This study employed multi-amplicon high-throughput sequencing [...] Read more.
Integrated aquaculture, centered around polyculture involving multiple species, is a typical practice for the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry, capable of enhancing resource utilization efficiency, environmental stability, and overall productivity through establishing symbiotic interactions among species. This study employed multi-amplicon high-throughput sequencing to assess the ecological impacts of two polyculture methods involving river crabs on sediment bacteria, fungi, and protists. One method involved polyculturing river crabs with mandarin fish, silver carp, and the stone moroko (SPC), and the other involved polyculturing river crabs with only mandarin fish and silver carp (SMC). The results showed that, compared to the SMC group, the SPC group remarkably increased the Chao1 index of bacterial communities in pond sediment and decreased the Pielou_J index of protists. The relative abundances of all fungal phyla and most dominant bacterial and protistan phyla (top 10 in relative abundance) in the SPC group were considerably different from those in the SMC group. In the co-occurrence networks of bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities, the numbers of edges and nodes were higher in the SPC group than in the SMC group, and the habitat niche breadth of bacterial community was also notably increased in the SPC group. The levels of total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and phosphates within pond sediment in the SPC group were obviously lower than those in the SMC group, and were significantly correlated with the microbial communities, with TC being identified as the primary contributor driving changes in the microbial communities. All the findings collectively demonstrate that the polyculture of river crabs with mandarin fish, silver carp, and the stone moroko enhances the stability of bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities in sediment and enhances resource utilization efficiency in aquaculture, thereby preventing the environmental risks associated with excessive nutrient accumulation in sediment. Polyculture systems integrating river crabs with mandarin fish, silver carp, and the stone moroko represent a sustainable aquaculture model with significant ecological benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Conservation, and Application of Crustaceans)
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