Molecular neurobiology of memory in Neohelice

Abstract

Long species monographs seem to be a thing of the past, probablybecause few researchers have the luxury or dedication to be able to focuslong-term research efforts exclusively on one species or a group ofspecies. This up-to-date monograph on Neohelice granulata proves thegreat value that such monographs still have in current times. While in thepast, species or taxon-focused monographs were typically written bysingle researchers who had spent their entire career investigating theirfavourite organisms, this monograph on N. granulata is a group effortgathering a total of 77 authors, primarily from Argentina. This is a giganticachievement for the editors, who were able to shepherd such a diversegroup of authors for this monograph with a total of 33 chapters. Thismonograph is published in two volumes, but it is a unit work, indivisiblein its conception, realization and integration, evidenced by its numerouscross-references between chapters and volumes.The result of this effort provides an overview about one of the beststudied crustacean species of the past few decades. From reading some ofthe chapters, it becomes evident that this is not only a collection ofchapters about N. granulata, but these volumes are also testimony to thelong-term research commitment of the Argentinian crustacean community.Collectively, they have worked over decades to investigate all aspects ofthe biology and life history of this intertidal crab. These volumesdemonstrate the community effort put into every single chapter andbecoming evident on almost any single page. At least two authors writemost of the chapters, and many by more than two authors, furthermoreunderscoring this collaborative effort. The editors and their fellow authorsare to be congratulated for pulling off this group achievement!Each volume is divided into two sections, each with a briefintroductory preface by one of the eminent scholars in the field. In the firstsection on life history and developmental biology, the eight chaptersexplore the early life of N. granulata, from embryonic development tolarval life. The authors focus on the pelagic stages, settlement biology, andlife cycles. In the section on ecology and ecosystem role of the crab, theeight chapters examine N. granulata?s predators, forms of food acquisitionand the complexity of its mating system as well as their effects on habitatstructure and species interactions. The eight chapters in the section onneurobiology cover topics ranging from sensory systems to neural integration including memory and learning. Finally, in the section onanatomy and physiology, the authors present information on thereproductive system, investment in growth and reproduction, generalmetabolic strategies and respiration of this fascinating crab living at theinterface between air and water.The individual chapters are all relatively concise, and they are richlyillustrated, making the reading a pleasant experience. All chapters arewritten in clear language, making them accessible to readers from relateddisciplines or people interested in the general biology and ecology ofcrustaceans.This work presents N. granulata as an ideal model species for futurestudies on climate change, pollution, habitat degradation, or speciesinvasion. The distributional range of N. granulata is one of the areas in theworld?s oceans that have and will continue to experience substantialchanges in seawater temperatures. Not surprisingly, N. granulata isincreasingly confronted with invasive species, which either have beenexpanding their geographic ranges or which have been introduced byhuman activities, e.g. ship transport. For example, in large parts of itsnatural habitat N. granulata will soon be confronted with one of the mostaggressive invaders around the world, the shore crab Carcinus maenas,which has already established a foothold in Argentinian Patagonia, and issteadily expanding its invaded range to the north. Additionally, N.granulata is exposed to industrial and coastal activities, and one of thechapters in the volume on endocrine disruption examines the effects ofpollution on reproductive traits and success in N. granulata. This is theonly chapter on anthropogenic impacts on this marvellous little crab fromthe South-West Atlantic, but future studies on human impacts will be ableto build on the enormous and complete knowledge provided in thisvolume.These volumes should be an inspiration for others, who might havesimilarly rich and integral information on their local crab species ? I couldeasily envision several well-studied crabs that would merit a similarvolume.In the meantime, the scene is set for Neohelice granulata to serve as amodel organism for scientists from different fields and regions of theworld. This work provides researchers with all the basic knowledgeneeded to thoroughly examine whether and how this common intertidalcrab is adapting to the changes occurring in their natural habitats.