The structure and sensitivity of the eye of different life history stages of the ontogenetic migrator Gnathophausia ingens

The structure and ultrastructure of the photoreceptors of several life history stages of the ontogenetically migrating lophogastrid crustacean Gnathophausia ingens were examined. The younger instars of this species live in a much brighter light field than the older instars, and this difference is reflected in differences in their visual systems. The shallowest free living individuals (instars 3 and 4) possess a superposition eye with almost no clear zone, which minimizes the light shared between ommatidia and reduces the sensitivity of the eye. A progression to superposition optics with a large clear zone, usually associated with night-active or deep-living species, occurs as the animals move deeper in the water column. Regional differences within the eye are also evident, with a largely nonexistent clear zone in the dorsal region and a large clear zone in the ventral region in the eyes of instar 5 animals, the first instar to move to deeper depths. The deepest living instars (10–12) possess superposition optics with a large clear zone throughout the eye, and are significantly more sensitive to light than the younger, shallower instars.     

Tidal-linked behaviour of the shrimp Ligur uvea in a land-enclosed marine pool

At Aldabra Atoll, the shrimp Ligur uvea inhabits a land-locked marine pool which is connected to the sea by a subterranean fissure. The shrimps migrate daily with the tide from a hole in the subterranean labyrinth to a feeding area at the bottom of the pool. The timing of the migration is tidal-linked and independent of light and temperature. With each incoming tide, tagged individuals return to a definite feeding ground. Such homing has not been reported from other L. uvea pools. Feeding activity was quantitatively measured, differences between day and night activity are interpreted as adaptations against predators (terrestrial wading birds). Compared to other L. uvea pools, the shrimps at Aldabra Atoll are exposed to a more rigorous environmental situation, which probably influences the tidal-linked behaviour of the local shrimp population.     

Prey capture and structure of the visual space of an insect that hunts by sight on the litter layer (Notiophilus biguttatus F., Carabidae,Coleoptera)

Summary The carabid beetle Notiophilus biguttatus hunts springtails and mites by visual cues. The preycapture behaviour of the beetle and the escape behaviour of the springtails were analysed by means of highspeed films. N. biguttatus has between 900 and 1250 ommatidia in each compound eye. The visual space covers ca. 200° in the horizontal plane, with a binocular overlap of no more than 74°. The fovea, the part of the eye where the pseudopupil is largest, points straight ahead of a beetle in its normal posture.The structure of the visual space was determined from measurements of the optical axes in the horizontal plane (plane of fixation) over the middle of the eye. Because of the slanted position of the ommatidia under the cornea, the optical axes point more towards the front or the back of the animal than do the anatomical axes.The optical axes were used to construct the binocular visual space in the horizontal plane. The point E , to which an estimation of distance is possible, lies on the midline 42.6 mm away from the front edges of the eyes. Resolution rapidly decreases with increasing distance, particularly depth resolution.At a distance corresponding to that from which the beetle attacks its prey, depth and width resolution correspond roughly to the dimensions of the smallest prey animals. The smallest measured directional corrections made by the beetle prior to attack (2°–3°) correspond approximately to the divergence angles in the fovea ( _h=2.2°), and the smallest measured distance correction prior to attack (0.2 mm) corresponds approximately to the depth resolution at attack distance.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 4)     

Eye development in southern calamary, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sepioteuthis australis</Emphasis>, embryos and hatchlings

Eye development, optical properties and photomechanical responses were examined in embryos and hatchlings of the southern calamary, Sepioteuthis australis. This species occurs in shallow coastal waters in Australia and New Zealand, and the egg masses were collected in October and December 2004 from Great Oyster Bay, Tasmania. At the earliest developmental stage the eye of the squid was comprised of a hemispherical cup of undifferentiated neural retina, while presumptive iris cell layers and lentigenic precursor cells enclosed a posterior eye chamber. Differentiation of the proximal and distal processes was observed in correspondence with the cornea development and lens crystallization, and occurred before differentiation of the neural retina, which was complete prior to hatching. Longer photoreceptor distal processes were first observed just prior to hatching in the dorsal-posterior retina. After hatching, this difference was much more evident and higher photoreceptor density was found in the central retina. This indicates that the eye of S. australis at this age uses different retina areas for different visual tasks. Optical sensitivity and resolution suggest that juvenile S. australis are diurnal. This study also found functional photomechanical responses of visual screening pigment migration and pupil constriction in S. australis embryos, although complete functionality of the pupil at this stage was uncertain. However, the pupils of squid aged 2 days closed almost completely under bright conditions, showing that photomechanical responses were highly developed in the juvenile squid. These findings indicate that squid embryos are able to perceive visual stimulation, suggesting an early reliance on vision for survival after hatching.     

Changes in gonadal development,androgenic gland cell structure,and hemolymph vitellogenin levels during male phase and sex change in laboratory-maintained protandric shrimp, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pandalus hypsinotus</Emphasis> (Crustacea: Caridea: Pandalidae)

Most pandalid shrimps show protandric hermaphroditism, and male sexual differentiation is considered to be controlled by the androgenic gland. In the present study, we examined the histology of gonadal development during the male phase and sex change and the involvement of the androgenic gland in regulating male reproduction in laboratory-maintained Pandalus hypsinotus. Juvenile shrimps developed testicular tissues in the peripheral part of gonads during the age of 16–31 months and produced spermatozoa between 34 and 36 months. After reaching sexual maturity, male shrimps exhibited seasonal testicular development: active production of spermatozoa (February–May), disappearance of spermatozoa (spent, April–June), increase of spermatocytes (May–November), appearance of spermatids and spermatozoa in the gonads (November–February). The androgenic gland cells became larger and the rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm developed at male sexual maturity. The cell structure shows that the androgenic gland hormone is a peptide. Furthermore, bilateral eyestalk ablation on immature male shrimps induced hypertrophy of the androgenic gland and acceleration of male sexual maturation. These results indicate the involvement of androgenic gland hormone and some eyestalk factor in regulating male sexual maturation. Over a 1-year laboratory-rearing period, some male shrimps (16.7%) changed sex. In transitional shrimps, testicular tissues in the gonads and androgenic glands degenerated; on the other hand, oocytes started yolk protein accumulation and hemolymph vitellogenin levels became high. These results suggest that androgenic gland degeneration is a trigger for sex change and that the vitellogenin level is a useful marker for sex change.     

The eye and some effects of light on locomotor activity in Nephrops norvegicus

The compound eye of Nephrops norvegicus (L.) is of the superposition type, well-adapted to the low levels of light prevailing at the sea bed during the activity periods of the species. Only the proximal retinal shielding pigment responds to light, the distal retinal shielding pigment being in the dark-adapted position at all times. The response of the proximal pigment appears to vary seasonally. Field observations compared light intensity at the sea bed with the numbers of N. norvegicus caught by trawl at various times of day in the Irish Sea in summer and winter. Laboratory experiments were combined with these field data to indicate that light is an important modulator of locomotor activity in this species.     

Effects of predation and habitat structure on the abundance and population structure of the rock shrimp Rhynchocinetes typus (Caridea) on temperate rocky reefs

Human disturbances, such as overfishing, may disrupt predator–prey interactions and modify food webs. Underwater surveys were carried out at six shallow-water reef barrens in temperate waters of northern-central Chile from October to December 2010 to describe the effects of predation, habitat complexity (low, medium and high) and refuge availability on the abundance and population structure of the rock shrimp Rhynchocinetes typus (Rhynchocinetidae), an important mesoconsumer on subtidal hard substrata. Three sites were within managed (restricted access) areas for fishermen, and three were unmanaged (open-access). Field observations and tethering experiments were conducted to examine the relationship between fish and shrimp abundances, and the relative predation rates on shrimps. Direct effects of predation on R. typus body-size distribution were examined from shrimps collected in the field and fish stomachs. The presence and the abundance of R. typus increased with habitat reef complexity and refuge availability. Shrimp abundance was negatively related to fish abundance in managed areas, but not in open-access areas, where shrimp densities were the highest. Also, predation rates and body-size distribution of shrimps were unrelated, although fish consumed more large shrimps than should be expected from their distribution in the field. R. typus occurred most often in shelters with wide openings, offering limited protection against predators, but providing potential aggregation sites for shrimps. Overall, direct effects of predation on shrimp densities and population structure were weak, but indirect effects on shrimp distribution within reefs appear to have been mediated through behavioural responses. Our study highlights the need to assess both numerical and behavioural responses of prey to determine the effects of predator loss on mesoconsumer populations.     

Antifouling adaptations of marine shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea): Functional morphology and adaptive significance of antennular preening by the third maxillipeds

Preening (cleaning, grooming) of the antennules and other cephalothoracic appendages by the third maxillipeds was observed in several species of shrimp. Distribution and ultrastructure of serrate grooming setae on the third maxillipeds, which scrape the antennules, was studied with light and scanning electron microscopy. The motor patterns of antennular cleaning were similar for all species. Antennular preening was the most frequent grooming behavior observed, but the duration of other grooming behaviors was greater. Tidepool shrimps (Heptacarpus pictus) experimentally prevented from grooming the antennules by ablation suffered fouling of the olfactory hairs of the antennules with their subsequent breakage and loss; antennules of controls remained clean and undamaged. Antennular preening, a frequent and widespread behavior of caridean shrimps and other decapod crustaceans, is suggested as having high adaptive value in keeping sensory sites free of epizoic and sedimentary fouling which might render them inoperative.     

Studies on the growth of some marine unicellular algae under different artificial light sources

Documented evidence of the suitability of various artificial light sources for the culture of unicellular algae is scarce. This paper reports the results of a comparison of the growth rates of 5 species of marine unicellular algae at various light intensities produced by an incandescent filament source or daylight fluorescent tubes. Under light saturating conditions the maximum growth rate achieved by each species was the same under each artificial source. Under sub-optimal intensities, no difference in the growth rates under the 2 sources was detected in the case of Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Chlorella ovalis or Monochrysis lutheri. However, under these conditions both Brachiomonas submarina and Dunaliella primolecta required higher intensities of incident illumination from the fluorescent source than from the incandescent source to maintain a particular relative growth rate.     

Embryogenesis of decapod crustaceans with different life history traits,feeding ecologies and habitats: a fatty acid approach

Variations in embryo size and fatty acid (FA) dynamics during embryogenesis were evaluated in deep-sea pandalids and portunid swimming crabs from the Portuguese continental margin and Madeira Island slope and compared with previous data on neritic and deep-sea lobsters and shrimps (collected between February 2001 and March 2004). Inter-specific variations in embryo size seem to be dictated primarily by phylogeny rather than by differences in reproductive or early life history traits. FA reserves were significantly correlated with embryo size (P < 0.001). Principal component analysis revealed differences among three groups (1—neritic caridean shrimps, 2—deep-sea pandalids of the genus Plesionika, and lobsters, 3—portunid crabs and the deep-sea pandalid Chlorotocus crassicornis, Costa 1871). Group 1 was clearly separated by PC1 mainly due to the higher percentage of essential C₁₈ (linoleic and linolenic acids) and C₂₀ (namely eicosapentaenoic) polyunsaturated FA (specific markers of primary producers). PC2 separated Group 2 from Group 3 due to differences in the percentage of several saturated FA (including odd-numbered FA—bacterial markers) and C₁₈ monounsaturated FA (namely 18:1n − 9, a general marker of carnivory). Therefore, these differences among groups seem to result from distinctions in diet and ecological niche. Intra-specific differences in FA composition between western and southern Plesionika martia martia (A. Milne-Edwards, 1883) populations may reflect higher water temperatures on the south sub-tropical coast. Lobster embryonic development was more demanding of lipid energy than that of the other decapod species, which may reflect an evolutionary trend in decapod taxa related to an increasing degree of lecithotrophy. However, a lower FA catabolism can be interpreted as an enhanced independence of the newly hatched larvae from external energy sources. Higher FA content at hatching and, as a consequence, a greater independence from the external environment should increase the chances of larval survival. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Study by evolution of nucleic acid content of prepuberal growth in the shrimp Crangon vulgaris

Growth of the shrimp Crangon vulgaris was studied by following the evolution of its nucleic acid concentration and total content. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) analysis were effected on homogenates of whole shrimps. Cell multiplication was estimated from evolution of total DNA content, and cell size increment from evolution of fresh weight: DNA ratio. DNA puric bases ratio and RNA monoribonucleotides percentages were constant throughout the investigation period. A decrease in DNA concentration was observed from 50 to 20 M/g dry defatted weight (DDP), when fresh weight increases from 40 to 570 mg. This decrease was more marked in the first half of the period studied (prepuberal phase). The DNA content in the whole shrimp increases with fresh weight without slowing down at sexual maturity. However, at the beginning of the prepuberal phase the cell-multiplication rate seems to be graduated rather than continuous; this is still to be explained. Cell size, calculated from fresh weight: DNA ratio, increases until the shrimp weighs 300 mg; beyond this weight, cell increment proceeds much more slowly. The weight gain of shrimps throughout the growth period studied is mainly attributable to hyperplasia — which occurs constantly — while hypertrophy insures only 21% weight increment in the largest shrimps. As protein content, RNA content is a linear function of shrimp weight. RNA:DNA ratio evolution is similar to that of cell size and protein content. We suggest that cells have attained a physiological balance when shrimps reach a weight of 300 mg.     

Bioluminescence of deep-sea coronate medusae (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)

Bioluminescence is the production of visible light by a living organism. The light commonly appears as flashes from point sources (involving one or more cells, usually described as photocytes) or as a glandular secretion. A visible flash usually involves synchronous light emission from a group of cells or, if from a single-celled organism such as a dinoflagellate, from a group of organelles. The number of cells (or organelles) responding synchronously is the main determinant of the flash intensity. Bioluminescence is a common phenomenon in many deep-sea animals and is widespread among the Cnidaria. In this paper, we compare and contrast in situ and laboratory recordings of the bioluminescent responses of specimens of the deep-sea scyphozoans Atolla wyvillei, Atolla vanhoffeni, Atolla parva, Nausithoe rubra, Paraphyllina intermedia, Periphyllopsis braueri and Periphylla periphylla. Displays in all seven species consist of localised flashes and propagated waves of light in the surface epithelium. The first few single waves propagate at rates of up to 60 cm s^-1 but subsequent ones in any sequence of stimuli gradually decrease in speed. After several single wave responses, a subsequent stimulus may elicit multiple waves that persist for several seconds. Following such a frenzy, the specimen becomes temporarily refractory to further stimuli, but if rested will recover its normal responses and may produce further frenzies. The dome area, situated above the coronal groove, of the genera Paraphyllina, Periphylla, and Nausithoe is covered with luminescent point sources. Such point sources are generally absent from the dome of species of Atolla. Captured specimens of A. parva also produce secretory bioluminescence, corroborating prior in situ observations of this ability. Secretory bioluminescence in P. periphylla takes the form of scintillating particles released from the lappet margins. We did not observe secretory displays in specimens of any other species in the laboratory, but one instance of apparent secretory luminescence was recorded in situ in a specimen of A. wyvillei.Communicated by J. P. Thorpe, Port Erin     

Individual and collective foraging decisions: a field study of worker recruitment in the gypsy ant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphaenogaster senilis</Emphasis>

In social insects, the decision to exploit a food source is made both at the individual (e.g., a worker collecting a food item) and colony level (e.g., several workers communicating the existence of a food patch). In group recruitment, the recruiter lays a temporary chemical trail while returning from the food source to the nest and returns to the food guiding a small group of nestmates. We studied how food characteristics influence the decision-making process of workers changing from individual retrieving to group recruitment in the gypsy ant Aphaenogaster senilis. We offered field colonies three types of prey: crickets (cooperatively transportable), shrimps (non-transportable), and different quantities of sesame seeds (individually transportable). Colonies used group recruitment to collect crickets and shrimps, as well as seeds when they were available in large piles, while small seed piles rarely led to recruitment. Foragers were able to “measure” food characteristics (quality, quantity, transportability), deciding whether or not to recruit, accordingly. Social integration of individual information about food emerged as a colony decision to initiate or to continue recruitment when the food patch was rich. In addition, group recruitment allowed a fast colony response over a wide thermal range (up to 45°C ground temperature). Therefore, by combining both advantages of social foraging (group recruitment) and thermal tolerance, A. senilis accurately exploited different types of food sources which procured an advantage against mass-recruiting and behaviorally dominant species such as Tapinoma nigerrimum and Lasius niger.     

Planktivorous damselfish support significant nitrogen and phosphorus fluxes to Mediterranean reefs

In an ecosystem, which is apparently very limited in N and P, the planktivorous damselfish Chromis chromis acts as an important vector in transferring nutrients from the pelagic into littoral food webs. C. chromis are more efficient at absorbing nutrients from their diet than herbivorous Pomacentridae, and excrete more faeces in the spring when their plankton food is more abundant. Faeces released in the water column sink rapidly to the substratum and are consumed by herbivorous and omnivorous fish. Faeces released into night-shelters are rapidly consumed by invertebrate detritivores, and particularly mobile scavengers, such as shrimps and hermit crabs. Night-time accrual of Chromis faeces represents a very important flux of N and P. Such fluxes are predictable in time and space and have thus far been ignored in studies of the western Mediterranean.     

Feeding of the copepod Acartia tonsa on the diatom Nitzschia closterium and brown algae (Fucus vesiculosus) detritus

Integumental sensilla were examined in 39 species of meso- and bathypelagic shrimps and 6 species of epibenthic shrimps. A tuft organ, consisting of a group of openended, tubular setae and so probably functioning as a chemosensor, is described. A single tuft with ancillary smaller tufts occur on the dorsal median surface of the fourth abdominal segment and two pairs of tufts occur on the proximal dorsal region of the telson of all oplophorid and pandalid shrimps examined. An additional tuft is present on the fifth abdominal segment of the rare bathypelagic Physetocaris microphthalma Chace. No tuft organs were identified in Processa canaliculata Leach, suggesting that they may not occur in all families of caridean shrimps. Acanthephyrid, systellaspid and pandalid shrimps have the integument completely covered by scales. These are extremely delicate and are normally removed during the process of catching the shrimp through abrasion of the integument by the net. The scales are peculiarly orientated, pointing anteriorly in the anterior half and posteriorly in the posterior half of the body. They probably have a sensory function as distance receptors, monitoring water currents and disturbances in the environment surrounding the shrimp.     

Exaggerated male eye span influences contest outcome in stalk-eyed flies (Diopsidae)

Evolution of male weapons or status signals has been hypothesized to precede evolution of female mating preferences for those traits. We used staged male fights among three species of Malaysian stalk-eyed flies (Diptera: Diopsidae) to determine if elongated eye span, which is preferred by females in two sexually dimorphic species, influences contest outcome. Extreme sexual dimorphism, with large males possessing longer eye span than females, is shared by Cyrtodiopsis whitei and C. dalmanni. In contrast, C. quinqueguttata exhibits a more ancestral condition – short, sexually monomorphic eye stalks. Videotape analysis of 20-min paired contests revealed that males with larger eye span and body size won more fights in the dimorphic, but not monomorphic, species. To determine if males from the dimorphic species use eye span directly to resolve contests, we competed male C. dalmanni from lines that had undergone artificial selection for 30 generations to increase or decrease eye span. We found that eye span, independently of body size, determines contest outcome in selected-line males. Furthermore, in both dimorphic species, the average encounter duration declined as the eye span difference between contestants increased, as expected if males use eye span to assess opponent size. The number of encounters also increased with age in dimorphic, but not monomorphic, species. Selected-line males did not differ from outbred males in either fight duration or number of encounters. We conclude that exaggerated male eye stalks evolved to influence both competitive interactions and female mating preferences in these spectacular flies. Received: 20 July 1998 / Received in revised form: 2 February 1999 / Accepted: 12 March 1999     

Beziehungen zwischen Körperbau und Lebensweise bei Blenniidae (Pisces) aus dem Roten Meer. III. Morphologie des Auges

The morphology of the eyes of 3 salariin Blenniidae have been investigated and compared: Salarias fasciatus (inhabiting the sublittoral), Istiblennius edentulus (eulittoral), and Alticus kirkii (supralittoral). An effective protection against desiccation in A. kirkii is offered by the very thick cornea conjunctiva. Extension of the visual field in this species is achieved by protrusion of the eyes from the head, by recession of the dermal pigment, and by a relatively large lense which allows better perception of marginal rays. The retina of I. edentulus is adapted for amphibious vision by the existence of many prominent swellings and folds, and of a central depression into which the lens can be with-drawn. Thereby, the stronger rays of light retraction present on land are focussed on the swellings, since the retina of the depression is under-developed. The cornea conjunctiva and propria of A. kirkii are separated, and thereby constitute an additional eye chamber. Presumably this cavity possesses a lower refractive index than the cornea or water, and thereby enables sharp vision in air, since the light-concentrating effect of the curved cornea is thus diminished. Additionally, the shape of the cornea propria can be varied, since it is centrally connected with the lens; by this means the eye chamber can be extended, enabling displacement of the tocal point of the light rays to correspond with the momentary residence. The adaptations described here for I. edentulus and for A. kirkii have so far not been reported in other amphibious vertebrates.

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Hit Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft     

Antifouling adaptations of caridean shrimps: Cleaning of the antennal flagellum and general body grooming

Structural specializations of chelipeds used by caridean shrimp in two kinds of grooming activity are described. In general body grooming, the chelipeds, and in some species, the last walking legs, nip, pick or brush material from the exoskeleton. When the cleaning chelipeds are the second pair, the carpal segment is multisegmented, increasing distal flexibility which aids in grooming. Tufts of compound setae and setal chela locks are characteristic of cleaning chelae. In representatives from 13 of 15 caridean families surveyed, brushes of serrate setae surround the carpal-propodal joint of the first cheliped. This setal structure is used in the specific task of cleaning the chemotactile antennal flagellum. Cleaning brushes on the last walking legs of some species are involved in general body cleaning. Experiments on Heptacarpus pictus showed that when the cleaning chelipeds were ablated, body parts became fouled with epizoites and particulate debris in experimental shrimps, while control shrimps showed little fouling. Suggestions on the adaptive role of general body cleaning in these natant animals are discussed. A survey of cleaning characters in representatives from 15 caridean families suggest that such characters are rather constant within a family. A possible correlation between the taxonomic success of a family and the degree of development of general body cleaning is suggested.     

Parasitism as a determinant of community structure on intertidal flats

The burrowing and movement ability of the New Zealand cockle Austrovenus stutchburyi is reduced when infected by echinostome trematodes. Previous experimental evidence from a single site suggests that this parasite-induced behavioural change of a key bivalve can affect the structure of the surrounding benthic community. By using multiple regression analyses on data collected from 17 intertidal flats, we here show that cockle parasitism is associated with macrozoobenthic community structure on a larger spatial scale. Regressions were performed for animal abundance, biomass, species diversity and species richness separately, entering cockle parasitism (infection intensity), presence/absence of ghost shrimps (Callianassa filholi), cockle density, primary producer abundance and organic content, particle size, sorting coefficient and gravel content of the substrate as predictors. Next to ghost shrimps, cockle parasitism was the best predictor of animal abundance by affecting (mainly positively) 8 of the 49 most widespread species significantly. Cockle parasitism was also associated with the biomass of anthozoans (positively), nemerteans (negatively) and bivalves (positively), whereas overall animal biomass was positively related to the sorting coefficient of the substrate. Species diversity was positively associated with cockle parasitism and gravel content of the substrate. Species richness was significantly associated with cockle parasitism (positively), ghost shrimps (negatively) and abundance of primary producers (positively) in combination. The impact of cockle parasitism on benthic community structure is believed governed directly or indirectly by (1) reduced sediment disturbance, (2) increased surface structural complexity and (3) availability of larval trematodes as an additional food source.     

The value of patches of intertidal seagrass to prawns depends on their proximity to mangroves

Penaeid prawns were sampled with a small seine net to test whether catches of postlarvae and juveniles in seagrass were affected by the distance of the seagrass (mainly Zostera capricorni) from mangroves and the density of the seagrass in a subtropical marine embayment. Sampling was replicated on the western and eastern sides of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Information on catches was combined with broad-scale spatial information on the distribution of habitats to estimate the contribution of four different categories of habitat (proximal dense seagrass, distal dense seagrass, proximal sparse seagrass, distal sparse seagrass) to the overall population of small prawns in these regions of Moreton Bay. The abundance of Penaeus plebejus and Metapenaeus bennettae was significantly and consistently greater in dense seagrass proximal to mangroves than in other types of habitat. Additionally, sparse seagrass close to mangroves supported more of these species than dense seagrass farther away, indicating that the role of spatial arrangement of habitats was more important than the effects of structural complexity alone. In contrast, the abundance of P. esculentus tended to be greatest in sparse seagrass distal from mangroves compared with the other habitats. The scaling up of the results from different seagrass types suggests that proximal seagrass beds on both sides of Moreton Bay provide by far the greatest contribution of juvenile M. bennettae and P. plebejus to the overall populations in the Bay.Communicated by M.S. Johnson, Crawley