The Larval Development of the Spider Crab Menaethiops nodulosus (Nobili, 1905) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Majidae) Reared in the Laboratory

Authors: FARHANA SHAFIQ GHORY, FEROZ AKHTAR SIDDIQUI

Abstract: The present paper is based on the larval development of a spider crab Menaethiops nodulosus (Nobili, 1905) reared in the laboratory. The genus Menaethiops is represented by twelve species from Indo-Pacific regions including M. bicornis Alcock, 1895. Later two more species M. gadaniensis Kazmi & Tirmizi and M. nodulosus (Nobili) were added to the marine fauna of Pakistan. The ovigerous female of M. nodulosus was collected from Buleji on October 28, 1996, prezoeae and first zoeae were obtained on November 13, 1996 and the first zoeae were segregated for further experiment. This species passes through two zoeal stages before moulting to megalopa. The duration from hatching to megalopa is 9 days at room temperature (27º-28ºC) in stored, filtered seawater of a salinity of 35-37 parts per thousand and pH 7.9. The larval stages of Menaethiops nodulosus are described along with their illustrations for the first time to our knowledge. The zoeae of M. nodulosus are compared with the laboratory reared zoeae of majid crabs: M. bicornis (unpublished), Achaeus lacertosus Stimpson 1858, Schizophrys aspera (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) and Micippa platipes Rüppell, 1830.

Keywords: Decapoda, Majidae, Larval development of Menaethiops nodulosus, Pakistan

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