Morphology of the larval and first juvenile stages of the spider crab Lissa chiragra (Brachyura: Majidae: Pisinae)

Abstract

The two zoeae, megalopa and first crab stage of the majid crab Lissa chiragra are described and illustrated from laboratory-hatched and reared material obtained from an ovigerous female collected on the western Mediterranean continental shelf. The morphology of the larval stages and first crab is compared with the corresponding stages of other known species of the subfamily Pisinae. The larval development and the first crab stages of L. chiragra are morphologically very similar to other larval descriptions of species of the genus Pisa