The Segregation and Elimination of Radioand Fluorescent-Belled Marine Bacteria from the Haemolymph of the Shore Crab, Carcinus Maenas

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Abstract
The dynamics of clearance, segregation and elimination of a marine bacterium, Moraxella sp., by the shore crab, Carcinus maenas (L.) has been studied utilizing fluorescent and radiolabelling techniques. In addition to the gills, the hepatopancreas was a major site of bacterial accumulation with sequestration occurring within haemocyte clumps and groups of stationary cells in this organ. The heart, excretory organ and subcuticular tissues also incorporated bacteria, but to a lesser extent. By the first day post-injection, many of the segregated micro-organisms had been removed from the organs. This latter process was not due to the exodus of laden haemocytes or of intact cell clumps from the host but seemed to result from lytic action by the host blood cells. Little material arising from such bacterial/haemocytic interaction was, however, immediately excreted, and much was relocated in the general body tissues as well as the gill nephrocytes.