Effect of hypophyseal gonadotropins (FSH and LH) on the ovaries of the sand shrimp Crangon crangon (Crustacea: Decapoda)

The effect of purified preparations of ovine hypophyseal gonadotropins NIH-FSH-S12 and NIH-LH-S19 on the histological structure of the ovaries of the sand shrimp Crangon crangon (L.) (Crustacea: Decapoda) was studied. All experiments were carried out on sexually mature females, out of the breeding season. The individuals treated with the gonadotropins included intact females as well as those in which the eyestalks were ligated to eliminate a source of gonad-inhibiting hormone (GIH). The results obtained indicate that both FSH and LH have a stimulating effect on the ovaries of the common shrimp, FSH causing growth in the number of somatic cells of the ovary, and LH — meiosis in the sex cells. The effect of each of the 2 gonadotropins was similar in intact and eyestalkless females which indicates its independence from the presence or absence of GIH. The response of crustacean ovaries to mammalian FSH and LH indicates that gonadotropins may act upon invertebrates.