Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Larval development of the Indian mangrove Crab Psuedosesarma glabrum (NG, Rani & Nandan, 2017) (Brachyura: Grapsoidea: Sesarmidae

Volume 63 Issue 2

Ardra M. Appukuttan, E. S. Sandhya and Aneykutty Joseph

10.6024/jmbai.2021.63.2.2219-14

Abstract

The present study describes the larval development of Psuedosesarma glabrum under laboratory conditions. P. glabrum is a sesarmid crab inhabiting the intertidal mixed mangrove zones of Vembanad ecosystem, south-west coast of India. Larval phase consists of four zoeal stages and one megalopa before metamorphosis to the first crab stage. Zoea I and zoea II last on an average 4±2 days, zoea III 7±2 days, zoea IV 6±2 days and first megalopa appeared on 29±2 day of hatching. All zoeal and megalopa stages are described and illustrated in detail. This work is the first report on the larval development of P. glabrum and larvae are compared with that of other species of Psuedosesarma

Keywords

Sesarmidae, Pseudosesarma glabrum, zoea, megalopa, larval development

Date : 10-10-2021