Abstract

The quantitative distribution of sexual steroid hormones (testosterone, estradiol, progesterone) and glucocorticoids (corticosterone and hydrocortisone) of vertebrates was determined in organs and tissues of the native crayfish Astacus astacus (L.) and the signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana), acclimatized in Lithuania. The level of hormone accumulation in organs (heart, nerve cord, green glands, gonads, digestive gland) and tissues (muscles, carapace) varied because of the change of the physiological state of animals at different stages of the intermolt cycle and reproductive period. During the premolt period the concentration of the hormones under study increased, while after molt the level of steroid accumulation decreased. A directed character of the dynamics of sexual hormones and glucocorticoids indicates that they participate in the regulation of the molting processes and adaptations to environmental changes together with molt hormones, ecdysones. Comparative studies indicated that interspecific relations between A. astacus and P. leniusculus and their adaptative plasticity agree well with the level of the concentration of steroid hormones. The fact that greater concentrations of steroid hormones were detected in P. leniusculus is probably associated with its biological advantage compared with A. astacus.

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