Eggs and early larval stages of Pinnotheres gracilis Burger and Pinnotheres modiolicolus Burger

Abstract

The eggs, pre-zoea and first zoea of Pinnotheres gracilis Burger and P. modiolicolus Burger are described. Although they resemble each other in many respects there are certain dififerences which would help in their identification. In the possession of the characteristic trilobed telson, and the rostral and lateral spines on the carapace, the larvae of the two species agree. However, the antenna is absent in the former and present in the latter. Attention is also drawn here to the highly variable nature of some of the morphological characters during development in the genus Pinnotheres.