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Type: Articles
Published: 2013-04-02
Page range: 501–519
Abstract views: 21
PDF downloaded: 1

Description of the newly-hatched juvenile of Aegla paulensis (Decapoda, Anomura, Aeglidae)

Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Rua do Matão, travessa 14 no. 101, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 05508090
Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Rua do Matão, travessa 14 no. 101, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 05508090
Crustacea Appendages morphology pore sensilla postembryonic development setae morphology

Abstract

The postembryonic development of Aegla paulensis is epimorphic (= direct), in which the hatching form is a juvenile that morphologically resembles the adult. Hatching is asynchronous, taking 3–5 days for all juveniles from a single brood to hatch. This paper provides a complete description of the external morphology of the newly-hatched juvenile of A. paulen-sis as analyzed through light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). One of the striking features ob-served in the newly-hatched juvenile of A. paulensis was the presence of four pairs of rudimentary pleopods, a trait never described before in early juveniles of Aegla. Additional novelties include three unique types of setae and two types of pore sensilla.