Overview of the mating systems of Crustacea

Due to an exceptional variety of habitats, body plans, and lifestyles, crustaceans exhibit a wide array of mating systems. Some groups engage in simple, pure- search polygamous systems in which males usually search for receptive females. In other groups, males defend valuable resources to attract and/ or guard females to ensure paternity. Some species have developed highly complex systems of harem defense polygyny and monogamy, even cases of sub- and eusociality are reported. The expression of mating systems does not seem to be uniformly correlated to taxonomic affiliation, but is rather diverse within certain groups, suggesting that the evolution of mating systems is largely facilitated by the lifestyle of the species. Despite the broad range of mating systems in crustaceans, and although some groups have been studied comparably well, there remains a lack of knowledge about the behavioral and sexual biology of many species. In the light of the high diversity of lifestyles, mating systems, and habitats of certain groups, crustacean species would be ideal models to unravel the evolution of reproductive strategies and social behaviors