Description of laboratory-reared first zoea of luniella spinipes (heller, 1861)‎ (brachyuran : xanthidae chlorodiellinae)‎ collected from the central Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

Ovigerous females of the Luniella spinipes was collected from Obhur Creek, central Red Sea.

The larvae hatched under laboratory conditions.

The larvae of L.

spinipes is related to its congener Pilodius sp.

larvae and can be distinguished by: the presence of small spines in ventral margin of carapace (vs.

absent) and 5 setae in distal segment of second maxilliped (vs.

6 setae).

The previous description of the first zoea of L.

spinipes is incomplete and overlooked the small setation of antennule, spines endopod, setation of coxal basal and endopod endite of maxilla, first and second maxilliped, and posterodorsal setae of abdomen.

In present study, first zoeal stages of L.

spinipes was dissected, carefully re-examined and redescribed with illustrations.

The first zoeal stages collected from the Saudi Arabian coast (central Red Sea) was differ from Al Ghardaqa (northern Red Sea).

The second zoeal stage of L.

spinipes was described for the first time and compared with those of the same larval stage of Pilodius nigrocrintus and Chlorodiella nigra