Description of first zoeal stage of Cardisoma crassum Smith, 1870 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gecarcinidae)

Abstract

ABSTRACTOf the four species of the genus Cardisoma, a larval description is available for three. A larval description of Cardisoma crassum is not available. The objective of this work was to describe the first zoea of C. crassum. Ovigerous females were collected from the El Salado Estuary, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México. The first zoeal stage of C. crassum shares the features typical of the Cardisoma: antenna with the exopod equal to 2/3 of the protopod length, maxilla endopod with terminal and two subterminal setae, first maxilliped basis with setae arranged 2, 2, 3, 3 and with 1,1,6 setae on the endopod of the second maxilliped. Also the telson of C. crassum has only a minute lateral spine. On the other hand, according to this study, it is possible to identify three species of gecarcinid present in the eastern tropical Pacific, using the length from the tip of the dorsal to the tip of the rostral spine, from tip to tip of the lateral spines of the carapace, and the setation pattern of the endopod of the maxilla.