Growth of the aegathoid stage of Nerocila phaiopleura (Isopoda: Cymothoidae)

Abstract

A total of 42 specimens of aegathoid stage, immature of cymothoid isopod (Crustacea), were investigated on the basis of sample collected by a shore seine from the coast of Katase (Fujisawa, Kanagawa Pref.), inner part of Sagami Bay, Pacific coast of central Japan, on 24 October 2015. There were identified as Nerocila phaiopleura Bleeker, 1857. The morphological characters of them were similar to descriptions and illustrations of that of previous records. The relationship of body length and maximum body width of all specimens of aegathoid stage of N. phaiopleura collected through in our previous studies on Japanese cymothoid isopods including present study are regressed to linear equation with high correlation coefficient. These isopod specimens could be separated to three other groups by distribution frequency of their body lengths: 1st group, 8 specimens, 8.1–11.9 mm BL; 2nd group, 43 specimens, 13.5–18.0 mm BL; 3rd group, 1 specimen, 20.4 mm BL.