Morphological description of Pentalcheles laevis postlarva collected from Suruga Bay, Japan (Crustacea, Decapoda, Polychelidae)

Abstract

A morphological description is given for the postlarval specimen of the polychelid lobster, Pentacheles laevis, collected from Suruga Bay, on the Pacific coast of Japan. The specimen has been previously identified using the DNA barcoding method. Diagnostic larval characters distinguishing the previously known postlarvae in three genera, Pentacheles, Stereomastis, and Polycheles, are also noted.