Juvenile development of Callinectes danae Smith, 1869 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Portunidae) under laboratory conditions

Abstract

The juvenile development of Callinectes danae was investigated from megalopae obtained in neuston samples at Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. The individuals were raised in the laboratory under constant temperature (25 ± 1°C), filtered sea water from the collection location (35‰), and natural photoperiod. Newly hatched Artemia sp. nauplii were offered as food on a daily basis and ornamental-fish food was also provided for the juveniles from the 4 th stage on. Twelve stages of the juvenile phase were obtained. The main morphological features that allowed recognition of the first juvenile stage were drawn and described. All the subsequent stages obtained were examined and measured, and the main changes in relation to the first stage were recorded. Sexual dimorphism becomes apparent from the fourth juvenile stage onwards. Some appendages and morphological features proved to be of great importance in the identification of species, including the number of segments of the antennal flagellum and the number of setae on the maxilla and on the 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd maxillipeds. These can probably be used for future comparisons and species identifications.

Morphology of juvenile phase of Achelous spinimanus (Latreille, 1819) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Portunidae) reared in laboratory

“…Descriptions of the carapace of portunids show that, just in the first post-larval stage, P. anceps exhibits 8 lateral spines, as well the common pair of spines characteristic of this family (Lebour, 1944a). For P. pelagicus , besides the common features shared with P. anceps , Yatsuzuka & Sakai (1980) also found a serrulate rostrum, as occurs for C. ornatus and C. danae studied by, respectively, Bolla Jr et al (2008) and Bolla Jr et al (2014), and for A. spinimanus (present study).…”

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Fig. 9. Achelous spinimanus (Latreille, 1819), third juvenile stage: (A) white arrow, the rudimentary female gonopores; black arrow, anterior ‘closing mechanism’ position; (B) posterior ‘closing mechanism’ position, pointed by the black arrow (see schematic drawing of the position of the abdomen over the posterior ‘closing mechanism’ in Bolla Jr et al , 2014). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

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“…In general, the rearing techniques adopted were similar to those used by Bolla Jr et al (2008, 2014). The megalopae and juveniles were individually raised at 24 ± 1°C in containers filled with filtered and aerated seawater (salinity 35).…”

“…A good taxonomic approach also requires knowledge of the early phases of life cycles of species, particularly those that show complex life cycles involving metamorphosis. Furthermore, such knowledge allows several studies such as ecological, physiological, biogeographic, amongst others (Negreiros-Fransozo et al, 2002;Anger, 2003;Marques et al, 2003;Figueiredo et al, 2008;Vergamini & Mantelatto, 2008;Sotelo et al, 2009;González-Gordillo et al, 2010;Demain et al, 2011;Ragionieri & Schubart, 2013;Bolla Jr et al, 2014). Shen (1935) published the pioneer and detailed description of juvenile development in a brachyuran representative (the portunid Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus, 1758)), described up to the ninth juvenile stage.…”

“…With respect to the family Portunidae, the genus Callinectes Stimpson, 1860 presents three species with detailed descriptions of juvenile development. The studied species of this genus are: C. sapidus Rathbun, 1896 and C. ornatus Ordway, 1863 studied up to the 11th stage by Barutot et al (2001) and Bolla Jr et al (2008), respectively; and C. danae Smith, 1869 studied up to the 12th stage by Bolla Jr et al (2014). Regarding the genus Portunus Weber, 1795, only sketchy descriptions were performed by Lebour (1944a) and Yatsuzuka & Sakai (1980) to P. anceps (Saussure, 1858) and P. pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758), respectively.…”