Abstract
The influence of temperature on the survival and growth of larvae of Macrocheira kaempferi was investigated in the laboratory. Artemia nauplii were given as prey. Survival temperature ranges for zoea and megalopa were 12 to 23°C and 11 to 18°C, respectively. The duration of each stage increased exponentially at lower temperature. In the survival range of temperature, survival time in starvation decreased with the increase in temperature for the larvae in each stage. Molting interval and survival time in starvation were longest for megalopa, followed in order by the 2nd zoea and 1st zoea in that order. The optimum rearing temperature for all the larval stages was 15 to 18°C. The duration of the planktonic larval stage could range from one to three months. The larvae could therefore live in depths shallower than 300m.
