INVESTIGATIONS ON THE EFFECTS OF INJECTED ECDYSONE UPON THE GREEN SHORE CRAB CARCINUS-MAENAS L

To accelerate and artificially induce molting, unoperated crabs [C. maenas], crabs without eyestalks, Y-organ ectomized and Y-organ- and eyestalkless animals were injected with multiple doses of .beta.-ecdysone. Molting itself was not induced in any case, although in double operated animals, both destalked and Y-organless, an acceleration of longer duration of molt preparatory processes was achieved. In all other crabs premolt processes were observed to a much lesser extent and were short-termed. The molt inhibiting hormone, which is produced in the eyestalks, might not inhibit the action of the Y-organ alone but acts on the peripheral tissues. Phases of increased susceptibility to the injected hormone might not exist.