Thehepatopancreas,digestive gland ormidgut gland is an organ of thedigestive tract ofarthropods andmolluscs. It provides the functions which inmammals are provided separately by theliver andpancreas, including the production of digestiveenzymes, and absorption of digested food.[2]
Arthropods, especiallydetritivores in the OrderIsopoda, Suborder Oniscidea (woodlice), have been shown to be able to storeheavy metals in their hepatopancreas.[3] This could lead tobioaccumulation through thefood chain and implications forfood web destruction, if the accumulation gets high enough in polluted areas; for example, high metal concentrations are seen inspiders of the genusDysdera which feed onwoodlice, including their hepatopancreas, the major metal storage organ of isopods inpolluted sites.[4]
The hepatopancreas is a centre forlipid metabolism and for storage of lipids ingastropods.[6]
Some species in the genusPhyllodesmium contains activezooxanthellae of the genusSymbiodinium in the hepatopancreas.[7]