Early development of the red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus from the Barents Sea reared under laboratory conditions: morphology and behaviour

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
• Main Authors: Epelbaum, Anna B., Borisov, Rostislav R., Kovatcheva, Nikolina P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2006
• Subjects: Barents Sea; Paralithodes camtschaticus; Red king crab
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315406013178; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315406013178

Morphology of larval, postlarval, and early juvenile stages of the red king crab is described and illustrated from laboratory reared material; attention is directed to certain aspects of morphology not previously considered. Some behavioural patterns are clarified, with special emphasis on locomotion and feeding. Morphological criteria for distinguishing the first two juvenile stages are proposed; additional morphological criteria for distinguishing zoeal stages are reported. Data on development and growth rates under laboratory conditions at 7–8°C are given for early life history stages. No major morphological differences were observed between early life stages of the red king crab from the native area in the Pacific Ocean and from the Barents Sea.