Crustacean larva

A juvenile stage in a crustacean’s development, often free-swimming and markedly different in form from the adult. Many crustaceans pass through several larval stages before metamorphosis.

Crustacea: A diverse group of arthropods that includes crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and barnacles. Crustacean larvae are juvenile stages within this arthropod group.
Nauplius: An early crustacean larval form with a simple body and typically three pairs of appendages. It is the first larval stage in many crustacean lineages.
Crab fishery: The harvesting and management of crab populations for food and other products. Larval survival and dispersal affect the supply of young crabs entering fisheries.
Anomuran crab: A decapod crustacean in a group that includes hermit crabs, porcelain crabs, and squat lobsters. Anomurans illustrate how related crustaceans can have distinct larval sequences.
Arthropod: An invertebrate animal with a segmented body, jointed appendages, and an external skeleton. Crustaceans belong to this larger animal group.
Zoea: A planktonic larval stage of many decapod crustaceans, often bearing prominent spines and a long abdomen. It is a common post-naupliar stage in crab and shrimp development.
Shrimp aquaculture: The farming of shrimp in controlled or managed aquatic environments. Hatcheries rear larval stages before transferring postlarvae into grow-out ponds.
Spiny lobster: A marine decapod crustacean with long antennae and no large front claws. Its transparent phyllosoma larva contrasts strongly with its robust adult form.
Ecdysis: The shedding of an animal’s outer covering to allow growth or change in form. Larvae grow and transition between stages by shedding their exoskeleton.
Megalopa: A late crab larval stage with a crablike body and a prominent, mobile abdomen. It follows zoeal stages before a young crab settles into its benthic life.

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