Percentage composition of Brachyuran larvae collected during 1994 in Manora Channel, Karachi, Pakistan

Brachyuran larvae are the most common zooplankton component of the Manora Channel, Karachi, Pakistan. The identification of these larvae would assist in the assessment of brachyuran species and provide information on percentage composition, occurrence, abundance and breeding habits of the brachyuran species in the Manora Channel area. However plankton caught larvae is not easily identified. An accurate identification of such material is only possible by the comparison with larvae reared under laboratory conditions and documented with illustrations. The identifications for this present study were based on the works of Gurney (1938); Atkins (1954); Chhapgar (1955); Raja Bai (1960); Hashmi (1969, 1970a, b); Baba and Miyata (1971); Kakati and Sankolli (1975); Rice (1975); Kakati (1977); Lim and Tan (1981); Yatsuzuka and Sakai (1984); Fielder, et al (1984); Amir (1989, M. Phil thesis unpublished); Ingle (1992); Siddiqui and Tirmizi (1992); Tirmizi et al (1993); Bano (1999, M. Phil thesis unpublished); Ghory and Siddiqui (2001); Ghory (2002, M. Phil thesis unpublished); Ghory and Siddiqui (2002)

Distributional patterns of brachyuran larvae in Manora Channel (Karachi, Pakistan) collected during 1995

This study gives an account of distributional patterns of Brachyuran larvae in the Manora Channel from January to November 1995. The planktonic sampling was carried out during day time from surface and sub-surface waters of station I and II (certain sites) at shallow depths (15'-20') using Bongo net of 300 micron mesh size. In all 19527 larvae were obtained through fourteen sampling. These brachyuran larvae belonged to nine families and twenty four species: Ebalia sagittifera, Philyra sp., Philyra scabriuscula (Leucosiidae), Schizophyris aspera (Majidae), Charybdis annulata, Charybdis sp. (Portunidae), Xanthid sp A., B. and C. (Xanthidae), Pilumnus karachiensis, Pilumnus sp. (Pilumnidae), Menippe rumphii (Oziidae), Pinnotheres sp. A, and B. (Pinnotheridae), Nasima dotilliforme, Serenella indica, Macrophthalmus (Mareotis) depressus, Macrophthalmus sp., Dotilla blanfordi, Ocypodid sp. A., B. and C. (Ocypodidae), Metopograpsus thukuhar and Clistocoeloma lanatum (Grapsidae). This study is based on identification, occurrence, distributional patterns along Manora Channel and percentage composition of brachyuran larvae in the area, collected during 1995

Occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae in the Manora Channel (Karachi, Pakistan) during 1993

The present paper investigates the occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae in the Manora Channel during August- December 1993. The fortnightly planktonic sampling was carried out in Manora Channel which is bordered by mangroves, during day time from surface and subsurface waters at shallow depth using Bongo net of 300 micron mesh size. Analysis of samples revealed presence of brachyuran larvae of 12 species belonging to 6 families. Of these 4 species are confirmed: Serenella indica, Dotilla blanfordi, Metopograpsus thukuhar and Clistocoeloma lanatum, 2 provisionally identified species are: Pilumnus ?karachiensis and Pinnotheres ?pisum, 2 species are identified upto generic level: Philyra sp. and Pinnotheres sp., and 1 Ocypodid species and 3 Xanthid species are identified upto family level. This study based on identification, occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae in the area, also gives percentage composition of brachyuran larvae collected during 1993, in the Manora Channel

First zoeal stage of Menippe rumphii (Fabricius, 1798) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Menippidae) collected from planktonic samples

The present paper is based on the description of the planktonic caught zoea I of Menippe rumphii (Fabricius, 1798). The planktonic materials have been obtained from Manora channel (Long. 66o 59'E and Lat. 24o 48'N) through the financial support of ONR (US Office of the Naval Research) project during 1993-1995

Advance developmental stages of Synalpheus tumidomanus (Paulson, 1875) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Alpheidae) reared under laboratory conditions

An ovigerous female of Synalpheus tumidomanus (Paulson, 1875), captured from Buleji (Karachi, Pakistan) on May 18, 1996 was kept under the laboratory conditions. On May 23, 1996 larvae were hatched out in an advanced stage of development as postlarvae. The postlarvae I of Synalpheus tumidomanus passed through II, III and IV postlarval stages within eighteen days at room temperature: 30ºC-32ºC, in filtered seawater of a salinity of 35 ppt and pH 7.9. The postlarvae are described along with illustrations for the first time to our knowledge. The comparison between successive morphological characters of postlarvae I-IV and adult are also noted in tabulated form

Study of planktonic and benthic caught naupliar stages of Rhincalanidae and Diosaccidae

The zooplankton samples and benthic samples were taken from Pasni Bay (Lat 25 deg 16’N Long 63 deg 29’E) and Sandspit (Lat 24 deg 50’ 24”N Long 66 deg 54’ 24” E) respectively. Present study is undertaken to study the planktonic naupliar stage of Rhincalanus sp. of Rhincalanidae and a benthic naupliar stage of unidentified Diosaccidae

Taxonomic studies on developmental stages of Balanus sp. from Karachi (Northern Arabian Sea)

Present study deal with the identification of nauplius stages of Balanus sp. Collected during plankton and sediment sampling from Karachi coast. The stages are described, illustrated and compared with available literature

Larval developmental stages of Athanas dimorphus Ortmann, 1894 (Crustacea, Caridea, Alpheidae) in laboratory from Pakistan

An ovigerous female of Athanas dimorphus Ortmann, 1894 captured from intertidal zone at Buleji (Karachi, Pakistan) on December 03, 2005 was kept under the laboratory conditions. The larvae were hatched out on December 07, 2005. The zoea I of Athanas dimorphus passed through II, III and IV zoeal stages within four days at room temperature: 23°C-26°C, in filtered seawater with salinity of 35-37‰ and pH 7.5-7.9. The developmental stages are described along with their illustrations and compared with the available descriptions of Athanas dimorphus larvae given by Gurney, 1927 for the first stage and Bhuti, et al., 1977 for first three stages. Thus, the fourth stage is being described for the first time not only in the species but in the genus Athanas

Morphological study of Cristapseudes omercooperi (Larwood, 1954) (Crustacea: Tanaidacea: Kalliapseudidae) manca stage I from Pakistani waters (Port Qasim)

Present paper deal with the morphological study of Cristapseudes omercooperi (Larwood, 1954) Manca stage I. Sediment samples were taken from Port Qasim (Lat. 25o46’N Long. 67o21’E) during 2008. The stage is described and illustrated