Development rate of Labidocera euchaeta Giesbrecht in Xiamen Harbor

The development rate of Labidocera euchaeta Giesbrecht in the Xiamen Harbor was studied in laboratory.The results showed that the development times of egg and larval stages (D) were significantly correlated with temperature (TO13), following the Belehradek function, D=α(T-7.5)^-1.0634.The development time from egg to larval stages and adult, as well as generation time can be predicted from the equation for egg development (α=411/24) by appropriately multipling the constant (α) with a proportion.The development was not isochronal over the whole larval period.Durations of naupliar stages were short and quasi-isochronal, which favored their non-feeding development.In contrast, durations of copepodid stages (C) were long.CV had the longest duration followed by CI, both of which are considered as the critical stages in the larval development.The acclimation effect of the seasonal temperature on the development rate was also observed.