A description of the development of primary and secondart sexual characters in the banana prawn, Penaeus merguiensis de Man (Crustacea: Decapoda: Penaeinae)

Abstract

A description is given of the metamorphosis and functional aspects of male and female genitalia in Penaeus merguiensis de Man, and criteria for the designation of adult genitalia are presented.

Male and female primary sexual development is described and the effect of parasitism by the bopyrid crustacean Epipenaeon sp, on primary and secondary sexual development is outlined.

Some aspects of mating and spawning are discussed.