Caridoid Escape Reaction

The caridoid escape reaction, also known as lobstering or tail-flipping, refers to an innate escape mechanism in marine and freshwater crustaceans such as lobsters, krill, shrimp and crayfish.

The reaction, most extensively researched in crayfish, allows crustaceans to escape predators through rapid abdominal flexions that produce powerful swimming strokes — thrusting the crustacean backwards through the water and away from danger. The type of response depends on the part of the crustacean stimulated, but this stereotyped behavior is complex and is regulated both spatially and temporally through the interactions of several neurons.

Read more about Caridoid Escape Reaction:  Discovery of The First Command Neuron Mediated Behavior, Research With Crayfish

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