Exploring the Circulatory System of Palaemon (Prawn): Insights into the Blood Vascular System

In Palaemon, the circulatory system includes blood, the dorsal sinus, the heart, blood vessels, blood sinuses, and blood channels. The circulatory system is open type. The arteries open into blood sinuses in the body.

Blood

1. It is a colorless watery fluid.
2. It contains amoeboid cells.
3. The respiratory pigment is hemocyanin, hence the blood is bright blue when combined with oxygen. It is colorless when deoxygenated.
4. The blood distributes digested food, and oxygen to all body parts.
5. Blood has the capacity of clotting.

Dorsal Sinus

The heart is dorsally placed in the posterior part of the thorax. It is enclosed in a chamber called the dorsal sinus or pericardium. It is present above the hepatopancreas and the gonad. It shows a thin septum on the floor. The septum is attached to the dorsal body wall and the thoracic wall.

Heart

It is a muscular organ. Its apex is directed anteriorly. The broad base is directed posteriorly.

Cardio-pyloric strand and two lateral strands will keep the heart in position inside the pericardium. On the wall of the heart, five pairs of valvular Ostia are present. Blood from the dorsal sinus can enter the heart through Ostia.

1. First pair of Ostia - Mid dorsal.
2. Second pair of Ostia - Mid ventral.
3. The third pair - Is posterior.
4. The fourth pair - Antero laterally,
5. The fifth pair-Postero laterally.

Blood Vessels Or Arteries

The heart sends blood to the body through the arteries. They are.

1. Median ophthalmic arteries: These arise from the apex of the heart. It runs forward mid-dorsally to head. It joins the two antennary arteries above the esophagus in the cephalic region.
2. Antennary arteries: A pair of antennary arteries arise from the apex of the heart on both sides of the median ophthalmic artery. Each artery runs forwards along the outer border of the mandibular muscle. Its branches are
   1. Pericardial branch goes to pericardium.
   2. The gastric branch goes to the cardiac stomach in the prawn digestive system.
   3. A mandibular branch goes to the mandibular muscle. Then it divides into a dorsal branch and a ventral branch. The ventral branch gives branches to the antennule, the antenna, and the renal organ. The dorsal branch gives branches to the eye and then divides. It unites with the same opposite branch and the median ophthalmic to form a circular loop-like artery or circulus cephalic. It gives a pair of rostral arteries to the rostrum.

Hepatic Arteries

They arise from the heart ventrolaterally one on each below the antennary artery. They go to the hepatopancreas.

Median Posterior Artery

A short stout artery arises from the posteroventral surface of the heart. It bifurcates into a supra-intestinal artery and a sternal artery. The supra intestinal is also called the dorsal abdominal artery which supplies blood to the midgut and the dorsal abdominal muscles. The sternal artery runs downwards through the hepatopancreas and then pierces the ventral thoracic ganglionic mass and goes to the ventral side. It divides into the ventral thoracic branch and the ventral abdominal branch. The ventral thoracic branch supplies blood to the sternal region, the first three pairs of walking legs, the maxillae, and the maxillulae. The ventral abdominal branch runs posteriorly up to the anus and supplies blood to the ventral abdomen, the last two pairs of legs, the hindgut, etc.

Blood Sinuses

True capillaries and veins are absent. In Palaemon arterial branches end in blood sinuses of the hemocoel. All the sinuses of the body open into a pair of ventral sinuses. It is present below the hepatopancreas.

Blood Channels

These have no proper walls. Six afferent bronchial channels carry blood from the ventral sinus to the gills on both sides. Oxygenated blood from the gills of both sides is brought to the pericardium by six afferent bronchial channels.

Circulation of Blood

The heart because of contractions forces the blood through the arteries to all parts of the body. Blood from all sinuses will return to two ventral sinuses. From there the blood is distributed to the gills by afferent bronchial channels and then it reaches the pericardial sinus through efferent bronchial channels and reaches the heart.