In Vitro Ecdysteroid Production by Y-Organs of the Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus

Ecdysteroid production in vitro by the Y-organs of intermolt blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) was examined. Ecdysteroids, measured by radioimmunoassay, were produced over a 36-h period in a simple crustacean saline medium. Addition of eyestalk extracts inhibited ecdysteroid production in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition was linearly related to dosage of eyestalk extract between 0.2 and 4 eyestalk equivalents and between 5 and 8 eyestalk equivalents. These results suggest that the molting physiology of the blue crab is similar to that reported for other, more extensively studied, crustacean species.