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. 2022 Nov 16:61:e71.
doi: 10.6620/ZS.2022.61-71. eCollection 2022.

First Zoeal Stage of 15 Species of Fiddler Crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) from Taiwan

Ying-Chen Zhang  1 , Hsi-Te Shih  1   2
Affiliations

First Zoeal Stage of 15 Species of Fiddler Crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) from Taiwan

Ying-Chen Zhang et al. Zool Stud. .

Abstract

Fiddler crabs (Brachyura: Ocypodidae: Gelasiminae) in Taiwan consist of 5 genera and 15 species, but knowledge of their larval development is limited to just 3 species, namely Austruca lactea, Tubuca arcuata, and Xeruca formosensis. In our study, the morphology of the first zoeal stage (zoea I) of the 15 species is described and compared to previous studies. The results show that the characters of zoea I can be used to distinguish the five studied genera and most species (except three groups, "Gelasimus borealis, G. jocelynae and G. vocans", "Paraleptuca crassipes and P. splendida" and "Tubuca arcuata, T. coarctata and T. paradussumieri"). The lateral spines on the carapace in zoea I are suggested to be a unique character in the Ocypodinae because they are absent in the Gelasiminae and Ucidinae, which supports the current systematics of the Ocypodidae.

Keywords: Austruca; Gelasimus; Larva; Morphology; Paraleptuca; Systematics; Tubuca; Xeruca.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
The measurements of the first zoeal stage used in this study.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Austruca lactea, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Austruca perplexa, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Austruca triangularis, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Gelasimus borealis, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Gelasimus jocelynae, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 7.
Gelasimus tetragonon, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 8.
Gelasimus vocans, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 9.
Paraleptuca crassipes, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 10.
Paraleptuca splendida, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 11.
Tubuca acuta, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 12.
Fig. 12.
Tubuca arcuata, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 13.
Fig. 13.
Tubuca coarctata, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 14.
Fig. 14.
Tubuca dussumieri, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 15.
Fig. 15.
Tubuca paradussumieri, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
Fig. 16.
Fig. 16.
Xeruca formosensis, zoea I. A, carapace; B, antennule; C, antenna; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, first maxilliped; G, second maxilliped; H, pleon and telson.
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