Abstract
The first zoea of a deepwater crab, Paromola macrochira Sakai, is described based on laboratory-reared material. Larval characters of described zoeas of the family Homolidae are compared and discussed together with those of the other archaeobrachyuran families. Within the genus Paromola, the zoea of P. macrochira much resembles that of P. cuvieri (Risso), but differs from that of P. japonica Parisi mainly in maxilla and carapace ornamentation. Homolid and dromiid zoeas have many anomuran features in common, and two types are recognized among them. The zoeas of the Raninidae show a number of larval characters of the higher brachyurans. The zoeas of the Latreillidae also closely resemble those of the Homolidae, but can be distinguished by the setation of the endopod of maxilliped 2. It is suggested that homolid and latreillid zoeas seem to show an intermediate level of evolutionary processes between morphologically advanced raninids and more primitive dromiids.
