Larval development of Philyra platychira (Decapoda : Leucosiidae) reared in the laboratory

The complete larval development of Philyra platychira de Haan, 1841, from h atching to the megalopal stage, was obtained by laboratory rearing. Three z oeal and one megalopal stages are described and illustrated in derail. In t he subfamily Philyrinae, it is unusual that the zoea has a lateral swollen protuberance on the carapace that in the third stage develops into a spine. The Philyra zoeae could be easily distinguished from the zoeae Arcania and Myra by having no lateral carapace spine, 2+1 setae on the endopod of the maxilla, and three small teeth on the posterolateral margin of the telson. In the Family Leucosiidae, Philyra is as advanced as the leucosiines, where as Arcania and Myra are the most ancestral group, based on the zoeal charac teristics. Therefore, it is considered that the subfamily Philyrinae might be a significantly heterogeneous group.