The First Zoeal Stages of Parapanope euagora and Halimede fragifer (Decapoda: Pilumnoidea: Galenidae) Hatched in the Laboratory

Abstract

The first zoeas of Parapanope euagora and Halimede fragifer hatched in the laboratory from two ovigerous galenid crabs of Pilumnoidea were collected from Jindo Island, Jeolanam-do, southern Korea. Their morphologies are described in P. euagora for the first time in the world and re-described in H. fragifer with the color images of live zoeas. In this study, they show a general morphology of Pilumnoidea by having a long antennal exopod, an endopod of the maxillule with 1, 2+4 setae, an endopod of the maxilla with 3+5 setae, and a fork of the telson with two lateral armatures. However, the first zoea of P. euagora differs from other known zoeas of pilumnoid species including H. fragifer by having a long antennal exopod with a medial seta and spine, not two spines, and a fork of telson with two lateral setae, not a seta and spine. Such characteristics of the antennal exopod and the fork of telson are reported for the first time in the pilumnoid zoeas. A comparison between the first zoeal stage of H. fragifer in this study and that of Terada shows minute differences in the characteristics of the antennule and the fork of telson.