Ontogeny of feeding apparatus and foregut of mud crab Scylla serrata Forsskål larvae

The development of the feeding apparatus of the mud crab Scylla serrata larvae was studied using electron microscopy for mandibles and light microscopy for other paired mouthparts and the foregut. The six paired mouthparts, which consisted of the mandibles, maxillules, maxillae, first maxillipeds, second maxillipeds and third maxillipeds, were dissected from specimens representing each larval stage. The first five paired appendages were already present in newly hatched larvae while third maxillipeds appeared only at the megalopa stage. Mandibles displayed complex incisor and molar processes at early zoeal stages, which became simple in morphology at megalopa. Mandibular palp buds were observed at the zoea 5 stage and these became fully developed as three‐segmented mandibular palps at the megalopa stage. Endopods of other paired mouthparts exhibited increased number of setae and size as the individual metamorphosed from zoeal stages to megalopa and crab instar. The foregut appeared as a continuous cavity at zoea 1 where the cardiopyloric valve was indistinct while the filter gland was clearly identifiable. Zoea 2 and succeeding zoeal stages exhibited a setose foregut; the gastric mill and its lateral and median teeth were prominent at zoea 3 stage. The significance of these morphological changes is discussed in terms of its implication in larval feeding management.