Occurrence of a tumour-like abnormality in the telson skeleton of the brine shrimp Artemia (Branchiopoda, Anostraca)

Abstract

Abstract Malformations of crustaceans have been observed in their natural habitats as well as in laboratory studies. Two patterns of morphological abnormalities have been recorded in species of the brine shrimp genus Artemia, including a gynandromorphic pattern and a specimen with three compound eyes. Here we report a hitherto unknown pattern of morphological deformation, viz., a tumour-like abnormality that occurred in the telson skeleton of a specimen of Artemia from China.