Larval development - Metapenaeus affinis (H. Milne Edwards)

Abstract

The complete larval development of Metapenaeus affinis was studied by rearing them in the labor-toy at Narakkal. At the rearing temperature of 25.2° C-27.0° C the embryo takes 15 to 17 hours to hatch out; the najplius transforms into protozoea I 42 to 56 hours after it hatches out of the egg, the protozoea stage lasts for 4 to 8 days and the mysis I takes 6 to 9 days to transform into postlarva I. Complete larval development from egg stage to postlarva I takes 14 to 23 days. 6 nauplius substages, 3 protozoea substages, 5 mysis substages and 2 intermediate stages were observed during the course of development. All the larval substages are described and illustrated and compared with the earlier descriptions of this species.