Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2010, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (4): 138-147.doi: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2010.04.138cstr: 32234.14.j.issn.1009-5470.2010.04.138

• Marine biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Morphological observation on larval development of Charybdis feriatus reared in the laboratory

LIAO Yong-yan, HUANG Hui-liang, WANG Neng-qin   

  1. Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China
  • Received:2010-02-24 Revised:2010-03-30 Online:2010-07-31 Published:2010-07-29
  • About author:廖永岩(1965—), 男, 湖南省保靖县人, 副教授, 主要从事鲎与西太平洋-印度洋重要经济蟹类生物生态学研究。
  • Supported by:

    广东省教育厅自然科学项目基金(040918)

Abstract:

Charybdis feriatus larvae were reared in the laboratory and their morphological characteristics in each growth stage were observed in order to study their larval development. The results show that larval development of these C. feriatus can be divided into two stages, namely zoeal stage and megalopa stage. The larvae molt seven times during the whole development process, in which they molt six times in zoeal stage and once in megalopa stage. The numbers of natatory hairs increase after each molt, being 4, 6, 8, 9−10, 13−14 and 15−16 on the first maxillipeds, being 4, 6, 8, 10−11, 14−15 and 17−18 on the second maxillipeds in the first to sixth zoeae, respectively. The development of zoeae contains six stages: Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z6, and the time span for each stage differs: 2−3 days for Z1 and Z2; 3 days for Z3, Z4 and Z5; 3−4 days for Z6. The development of megalopa contains one stage, and its larval development requires 4−5 days. It takes 20−23 days to complete the entire development process under temperature 28.5−29.5ºC and salinity 30‰.

Key words: Charybdis feriatus, artificial culture, larval development, zoea, megalopa, time of larval development