With the moult from the third protozoea to the first mysis
substage, the larvae undergo a major change in appearance:
- development of functional pereopods
with large exopods on all the thoracopods, which become the
locomotory appendages. The larvae now swim backwards, body vertical
with the telson up, slowly spinning on the vertical axis; this is
augmented by rapid backward thrusts from the flexion of the abdomen.
- the carapace fits more closely and covers most of the thoracic
somites
- the exopods of the second antennae, which have lost their
locomotory function, are no longer segmented and become
flattened antennal scales
- all three maxillipeds are functional
(Dall et al, 1990) |
