A Contribution To Knowledge of the Larval Development of Macrobrachium Olfersii (Wiegmann, 1836) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae)

Species of genus Macrobrachium are widely distributed in fresh and brackish waters mainly in subtropical and tropical parts of world. In past fifteen years interest in these shrimps, many of which reach large size, has increased greatly, largely due to possibility of commercial culture of some of them. Among studies that have been carried out in this period have been a number dealing with larval and early postlarval development of various species. Thus Ling & Merican (1961), Ling (1969), and Uno & Kwon (1969) studied Macro brachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) Lewis & Ward (1965) and Choudhury (1971) worked on M. carcinus (L., 1758), Kwon & Uno (1969) investigated M. nipponense (De Haan, 1849), Fielder (1970) M. australiense Holthuis, 1950, and Choudhury (1970) and Dobkin (1971) M. acanlhurus (Wiegmann, 1836). Other works dealing with larval development of species of this genus in a somewhat less complete fashion were those of Henderson & Matthai (1910) and Rajyalakshmi (1961) on AL lamarrei (H. Milne Edwards, 1837), Sollaud (1923) on M. borellii (Nobili, 1896), M. potiuna (M?ller, 1880) M. iheringi (Ortmann, 1897), and M. pilimanus (De Man, 1879), and Boschi (1961) on M. borellii (Nobili, 1896). Species of Macrobrachium thus far discovered in Florida are M. acanthurus (Wiegmann), M. carcinus (L.), M. faustinum (De Saussure, 1857), M. hetero chirus (Wiegmann, 1836), M. ohione (Smith, 1874), and M. olfersii (Wieg mann). The latter species, object of this study, shows a rather peculiar distri bution. Holthuis (1952) reported it from Central and South America from Mexico to southern Brazil, with a single record of its occurrence in northern Florida at St. Augustine. Holthuis & Provenzano (1970) found species just south of Miami and state that the Florida finds of M. olfersii are so eccentric that it has been suggested that species was introduced into Florida waters with