ADVANCE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF SYNALPHEUS NEPTUNUS (CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA, ALPHEIDAE) REARED UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

Abstract

The ovigerous female of Synalpheus neptunus, captured from intertidal zone at Buleji (Karachi, Pakistan) on May 26, 1997 was kept under the laboratory conditions. The larvae were hatched out on the same day in an advance stage of development as postlarvae. The postlarvae I of Synalpheus neptunus passed through II and III postlarval stages within twenty seven days at room temperature: 30oC - 33oC, in filtered seawater of salinity of 35-37 ppt and pH 7.9. The postlarvae are described along with their illustrations. The development difference between successive morphological characters of the three postlarvae (I-III) are also given in a tabulated form and the comparison between present study with those of previously studied postlarvae of S. tumidomanus from Pakistani waters.