1. Megaropa larva (カニのメガロパ幼生)

Marine zooplankton is attracted to the light at night. More than ten years ago, we collected many species of marine plankton (mostly zoea and megalopa larvae of crustaceans) in a pier of Uehara harbor (Iriomote-jima). The two photographs show a megalopa collected in this harbor. Color pattern of the exoskeleton was similar to that of the banded coral-shrimp (Stenopus hispidus), but it may be actually the larva of a crab (species, unknown).

Zooplankton is really beautiful in color (pattern) and shape. I will intruduce many species of zooplankton collected in the subtropical island Iriomote-jima.