Biphasic moulting in Isopod Crustacea and the finding of an unusual mode of moulting in the antarctic genus<i>Glyptonotus</i>

Abstract

Summary Moulting in Isopod Crustacea usually occurs in two phases and invariably the ecdysis of posterior half precedes the anterior. The hormonal control for regulating such a unique biphasic mode of moulting can only be explained by an effectively functional physiological mechanism probably involving circulatory inhibitions or restricted neurosecretive activities. This paper describes the observations made at McMurdo, Antarctica on an unusual single phase moulting in the endemic antarctic giant isopod Glyptonotus.