megalops
crustacean larva
Quick Summary
The megalops is a larval stage in the development of most crabs, appearing after the zoea stage. During the megalops stage, the larva has developed legs and abdominal appendages, a relatively long abdomen, and large eyes. This stage is also referred to as a megalopa. Some crustaceans may have an intermediate stage called a metazoea between the zoea and megalops stages. Malacostracans, a large group of crustaceans that includes crabs, lobsters, and shrimp, often have complex life cycles that can include larval stages.123
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
7 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
