Larvae of decapod crustacea of the Philippines. IV. Larval development of the banana prawn, Penaeus merguiensis reared in the laboratory

Abstract

The eggs, the larval stages and the first postlarva of the banana prawn, Penaeus merguiensis, from Philippine waters are described and illustrated.

The complete larval stage consisting of six naupliar, three protozoeal and three mysis sub-stages were reared from egg spawned in the laboratory. The larval and postlarval stages of the present materials are compared with those of P. merguiensis from India, P. monodon from the Philippines and P. japonicus from Japan. The morphological characteristics of P. merguiensis are identical with those of genus Penaeus in Gulf of Mexico, except for the absence of the dorso-median spine on the third abdominal segment in the mysis stage of. P. merguiensis.