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Control of Hatching in an Estuarine Terrestrial Crab I. Hatching of Embryos Detached From the Female and Emergence of Mature Larvae.

M. Saigusa

Published 1992 in The Biological Bulletin

ABSTRACT

Embryos of the terrestrial crab Sesarma haematocheir hatch simultaneously just prior to their release into water. Larval hatching occurs synchronously when the embryos are attached to a female, and the role of the female in this synchrony has been investigated. Clusters of embryos (200-2000 berries in each cluster) were detached from ovigerous females, and their hatching was compared with that of embryos attached to the females. Of the detached embryos in a cluster, either all hatched, or none hatched. A remarkable feature was that the success of hatching of these detached eggs depended upon the time of hatching of the eggs still attached to the female. Clusters of embryos that were detached from the female within 48-49.5 h of the projected time of larval release all hatched successfully, and swimming zoeas appeared. But embryos that had been detached from the female for longer periods did not hatch at all, though they were obviously alive. These results suggest a hatching process different from the embryonic development process. The female may trigger this process. In addition, detached eggs hatched later than eggs attached to the female, and their hatching was less synchronized. These observations suggest that the female not only initiates hatching, but also enhances the synchrony of hatching.

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