Postembryonic development and differentiation of the midgut in the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina davidi (Crustacea, Malacostraca, Decapoda) larvae

Abstract Neocaridina davidi is a freshwater shrimp that originates from Taiwan and is commonly bred all over the word. Like all decapods, which develop indirectly, this species has pelagic larvae that may differ entirely in their morphology and habits from adult specimens. To fill a gap of knowledge about the developmental biology of freshwater shrimps we decided to document the 3D‐localization of the midgut inside the body cavity of larval stages of N . davidi using X‐ray microtomography, and to describe all structural and ultrastructural changes of the midgut epithelium (intestine and hepatopancreas) which occur during postembryonic development of N . davidi using light and transmission electron microscopy. We laid emphasis on stem cell functioning and cell death processes connected with differentiation. Our study revealed that while the intestine in both larval stages of N . davidi has the form of a fully developed organ, which resembles that of adult specimens, the hepatopancreas undergoes elongation and differentiation. E‐cells, which are midgut stem cells, due to their proliferation and differentiation are responsible for the above‐mentioned processes. Our study revealed that apoptosis is a common process in both larval stages of N . davidi in the intestine and proximal region of the hepatopancreas. In zoea III, autophagy as a survival factor is activated in order to protect cells against their death. However, when there are too many autophagic structures in epithelial cells, necrosis as passive cell death is activated. The presence of all types of cell death in the midgut in the zoea III stage confirms that this part of the digestive tract is fully developed and functional. Here, we present the first description of apoptosis, autophagy and necrosis in the digestive system of larval stages of Malacostraca and present the first description of their hepatopancreas elongation and differentiation due to midgut stem cell functioning.