Description of the Early Larval Development in Freshwater Shrimp Atya lanipes Holthuis, 1963 (Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae) from Puerto Rico

The family Atyidae is composed of species whose existence has been known since the seventeenth century. Widely found in the Caribbean, Atya lanipes is a freshwater scraper/filter feeder shrimp with an amphidromous complex life cycle. Hunte (1975) described the first larval (zoeal) stage of the species. However, no scientific study has described the early larval development of this species after the first stage. This study aimed to document the early larval development of Atya lanipes under laboratory conditions and compare its larval development with other previously described species of the Atyidae family. Larval development was recorded by taking daily photos and videos of larval (zoeal) growth using a stereo microscope. Larvae were also preserved in ethanol for further morphological analysis. The results revealed that the best conditions for Atya lanipes development were 30 ppm water salinity, constant gentle aeration, and 27 °C water temperature. Nine stages were identified for the description of the early larval development of Atya lanipes. Early larval stages differ primarily in interstage larval size, the appearance and development of the telson, appendage appearance, growth of antennae and antennules, and pigmentation. The present contribution represents the first study that describes the larval development of the Caribbean shrimp Atya lanipes.