THE FIRST ZOEAL STAGE OF GLYPTOGRAPSUS-IMPRESSUS, WITH COMMENTS ON THE SUBFAMILIAL ARRANGEMENT OF GRAPSIDAE (CRUSTACEA, BRACHYURA)

The first zoeal stage of the brackish-water crab Glyptograpsus impress us is described and illustrated from laboratory hatched material. This is the first description of a larval stage from the Central American genus Glyptograpsus which is traditionally placed within the grapsid s ubfamily Varuninae. Comparison of zoeal setation patterns revealed com mon features with the Varuninae, while other features art more typical for the Grapsinae and Plagusiinae. Furthermore, zoeae of G. impressus are distinct in the setation of the maxillar endopod, which is unique within the Grapsidae and makes the inclusion of the genus Glyptograps us within one of the presently recognized grapsid subfamilies question able.