EFFECTS OF LEAD AND CADMIUM ON HATCHING OF THE SOUTHERN KING CRAB LITHODES SANTOLLA (DECAPODA, ANOMURA)

Eggs of the king crab Lithodes santolla were exposed to cadmium (0.2 a nd 2 mg/l) and lead (0.16 and 1.6 mg/l) for 30 days. Concentrations us ed represented 1/10 and 1 of the respective LC50 values for zoea I of the studied species. Proportion of larvae hatching, mean time of eclos ion and proportion of abnormal larvae were recorded. Abnormalities det ected were hydropsy; small size; and atrophy of dorsal, rostral and te lson spines, as well as atrophy of pereiopods and telson setae. The me an time of eclosion was inversely correlated to the incidence of struc tural abnormalities such as atrophy of spines and setae. These results suggest that both cadmium and lead caused an early eclosion of underd eveloped larvae, but while cadmium caused also a significant increase in hatching rate, lead produced a significant decrease in the proporti on of larvae hatching.