Dietary effects on larval survival and development of three sesarmid crabs

Semi-terrestrial brachyuran sesarmid crabs are the most diverse and important faunal components of mangrove forest temperate coastal communities worldwide. To establish a stable larval rearing method for understanding their developmental processes including molecular mechanisms molting metamorphosis, we examined effects diet on survival growth three crabs, Chiromantes haematocheir, Orisarma intermedium, O. dehaani under development. Zoea each species, immediately after hatching, were reared different feeding conditions as follows: non-feeding; fed only nutrition-enriched rotifers; Artemia (brine shrimp) nauplii; combination both rotifers brine shrimp. Larvae species survived almost to megalopa when they rotifer shrimp, but all C. haematocheir larvae had died by zoeal stage 2 could survive into rotifer, whereas intermedium showed 50% or less metamorphosis rates megalopa. The duration development shorter higher, respectively, in mixed group (both than This study provides baseline knowledge interspecific variability diets sympatric crab species.