Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Environmental Effects On Behavior And Physiology In Crayfish, Sonya M. Bierbower

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Despite dramatic morphological differences between animals from different taxa, several important features in organization and sensory system processing are similar across animals. Because of this similarity, a number of different organisms including mammals, insects, and decapod crustaceans serve as valuable model systems for understanding general principles of environmental effects. This research examines intrinsic and extrinsic factors by behaviorally and physiologically means to identify the impact of environmental conditions on two distinct crayfish species- Procambarus clarkii (surface) and Orconectes australis packardi (cave).

The research identified behavioral and physiological responses in these two morphological and genetically distinct species. The studies also examined …