Morphology of the early zoeal stages of Macropipus tuberculatus (Roux, 1830) (Crustacea, Brachyura, Portunidae)

The first three zoeal stages of the portunid crab Macropipus tuberculatus ( Roux, 1830) are described and illustrated from laboratory-reared material o btained from one ovigerous crab captured in the western Mediterranean Sea. Zoeae of M.tuberculatus can be distinguished from other known polybiinid sp ecies from the northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean waters by a combinat ion of meristic and morphometric features, especially by the number of seta e in the outer lobe of the maxilla endopod. Larval morphology presents addi tional evidence supporting the split of the genus Macropipus into the gener a Liocarcinus and Macropipus sensu stricto based on adult characters.