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 2026 | Viewed by 683

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 (1 paper)

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Research

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 462
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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