Cardiovascular system of the Lobster
Lobsters have one single-chambered heart located above their heart. The heart is a sac of striated muscle with several slits called ostia. The heart is surrounded by a structure called the pericardium. Blood pools in the pericardium until it enters the heart through the ostia and is pumped to various parts of the lobster's body. During a contraction, the ostial flaps close, increasing the pressure inside the heart. This increased pressure opens arterial valves, sending blood through the arteries to vital locations in the lobster's body. Since lobsters have a closed circulatory systems, there are no veins to bring blood back to the heart. Blood returns to the heart through a serious of interconnected spaces that empty back into the pericardium so the cycle can restart.
A lobster's heart rate is controlled by a cardia ganglia, which is connected to its nervous system. This happens by neurons sending a burst of impulses that is coordinated at the beginning of each contraction cycle. The burst pattern remains stable for thousands of cycles. Therefore an adult lobster will usually have a heart rate of 50 to 136 beats per minute.
A lobster's heart rate is controlled by a cardia ganglia, which is connected to its nervous system. This happens by neurons sending a burst of impulses that is coordinated at the beginning of each contraction cycle. The burst pattern remains stable for thousands of cycles. Therefore an adult lobster will usually have a heart rate of 50 to 136 beats per minute.