Morphology of larval and first juvenile stages of the kangaroo shrimp Dugastella valentina (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea), a freshwater atyid with abbreviated development and parental care

Abstract

The larval development of Dugastella valentina consists of two zoeal stages and a decapodid. Larval stages are not free living; the complete larval development takes place in the female’s incubation chamber. The two zoeae, the decapodid and first postlarval stages still have a large amount of yolk, which ensures their nutritional independence (lecithotrophic stages) while staying within the maternal incubation chamber and the first days after release. The first juvenile is the first free living stage. In the present study the morphology of all larval stages as well as the first juvenile are described and illustrated, and comparison with known larval stages of atyids is made.