Feeding ethology and histo-morphological analysis of gut and stomach in the freshwater crab Spiralothelphusa hydrodroma

Feeding ethology and dietary preferences were studied in S. hydrodroma, a freshwater crab collected from Southern region of India. Oral appendage morphology, histological analysis of gut and stomach were also carried out accordingly. After offering a series of foodstuffs to isolated male and female crabs, the crabs were found to be herbivore-biased omnivore, under laboratory conditions. Male crabs preferred 54% of egg white and female crabs preferred 35% of commercial fish feed. Food ingestion behavior was carefully recorded and represented. Feeding behavior involved the use of mouth appendages, 1st and 2nd pereiopods. Particles were trapped by the dense setation of the 2nd and 3rd maxillipeds and ingested. Histology of gut and stomach reveals the presence of mucosa, goblet cells, gastric glands, gastric pits, lamina propria and its structural adaptations depend upon its unique environment and the feeding behavior.