The results of the present study indicate that calcification of the new
mesocardiac, zygocardiac, and pterocardiac ossicles of N. norvegicus begins
in the hours immediately followingmolting. In addition to the gastroliths,
the old gastric mill ossicles seemingly provide a direct source of
calcium for the molted individual, once the calcifying gastric mill and
stomach wall ossicles are strong enough to commence mastication. If
these gastric mill ossicles are lost by other decapods at molting, and
their calcium subsequently resorbed, their contribution to the
calcification of the decapod exoskeleton postmolt has thus far been ignored.
This may have skewed results from studies investigating the
sources of calcium available to postmolt individuals, potentially
underestimating and/or overestimating the calcium attained from exogenous
and endogenous sources, such as: premolt stores (e.g. gastroliths),
water, food, and consumption of their exuviae