First zoeal stage of Macrocoeloma subparallelum (Stimpson, 1860) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Majoidea) described from laboratory hatched material

Jéssica Colavite,Jesús Hernández,Regulo López,Juan Bolaños,William Santana

doi:10.1590/2358-2936e2016016

Jéssica Colavite, Jesús Hernández + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/2358-2936e2016016

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Abstract

The morphology of the first zoeal stage of the decorator crab Macrocoeloma subparallelum (Stimpson, 1860) from Cuba is described and compared with the available descriptions for the genus. Among Macrocoeloma Miers, 1879 species, the first zoea of M. subparallelum can be differentiated only by the number of aesthetascs and setae of the antennule (4 and 2, respectively). Recently, Macrocoeloma has been placed as an incertae sedis genus in Majoidea, closely allied to other Epialtidae and Pisinae members. The distinct spine in the distal segment of the endopod of the first maxilliped in the zoeal stages of Macrocoeloma is similar to what we observe in other Epialtidae genera, a character that supports the recent phylogenetic findings.

Highlights

Majoid crabs, commonly known as decorator or spider crabs, form one of the most diverse groups among brachyurans including nowadays six families with a total of 907 valid species (Davie et al, 2015)
The genus Macrocoeloma Miers, 1879 has been traditionally considered a member of the family Mithracidae; recent phylogenetic studies have suggested the exclusion of Macrocoeloma from this family, being an incertae sedis group closely allied to other Epialtidae genera (Windsor and Felder, 2014)
We describe the first larval stage of M. subparallelum from Cuba and compare it with the available descriptions for the genus

Summary

Introduction

Commonly known as decorator or spider crabs, form one of the most diverse groups among brachyurans including nowadays six families with a total of 907 valid species (Davie et al, 2015). There are 14 described species of Macrocoeloma (see Ng et al, 2008), of which 10 are distributed in the western Atlantic from North Carolina to Brazil (Melo, 1996; Coelho et al, 2008). The larval development of only two Caribbean species belonging to this genus is known: that of Macrocoeloma camptocerum (Stimpson, 1871) and Macrocoeloma diplacanthum (Stimpson, 1860). Both have been partially described in the thesis of Yang (1967), and the latter has been re-described by Marques et al (2003)

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