Filling gaps in the life history of the snapping shrimp Alpheus petronioi: morphology of the first post-embryonic stages reared in laboratory

ABSTRACT

Larval characteristics play an important role in life history, phylogenetic and systematic studies. The morphology of the first post-embryonic stages (zoeae I–III) of the snapping shrimp Alpheus petronioi were described in detail and illustrated based on laboratory-hatched larvae. The morphological characteristics of the species were compared with available descriptions of other Alpheus species with known first zoeal stages. We provided a combination of characteristics useful for the diagnosis of the early zoeal stages of A. petronioi. The species can be separated from the first zoeal stage of the other species of the genus using the following structures: basial endite of maxillule with 2 stout spines (both without rows of spinules), and 2 small plumose setae; endopod of maxillule with 1 terminal denticulate seta, 1 short terminal simple seta and 1 subterminal spine; basial endite of maxilla bilobed, with 4 and 5 simple setae on proximal and distal lobe, respectively and basis of second maxilliped with 5 (3 strong and 2 slender) simple setae arranged (2 + 2 + 1). This is the first study on the biology of A. petronioi after its description, adding new information on its life history.

KEYWORDS:

• Alpheidae
• Alpheus heterochaelis
• larval development
• zoea

Acknowledgments

We thank the LABCAM co-workers for their help during fieldwork. São Paulo Research Foundation FAPESP (Post-doctoral scholarship 2020/14484-3 to RAP), (Thematic Biota 2010/50188-8) and (Thematic Biota INTERCRUSTA 2018/13685-5) to RCC. We thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – CNPq for the Postdoctoral scholarship 155813/2018-8 to RAP and research scholarships PQ 306672/2018-9 to RCC. We are indebted to the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions that helped to improve the quality of this manuscript during the review process. We thank Dr Fernando L. Mantelatto for depositing the material in the Crustacean Collection of the Biology Department of FFCLRP, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (CCDB/FFCLRP/USP).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by CNPQ: [Grant Number 155813/2018-8,306672/2018-9]; São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP): [Grant Number 2018/13685-5, 2010/50188-8,2020/14484-3].