Varunidae H. Milne-Edwards, 1853, and Ocypodidae Rafinesque, 1815

Varunids  and  ocypodids  are  Thoracotremata  crabs  inhabiting  tropical  and  temperate seas worldwide. The adult forms are mainly semi-terrestrial (e.g. Ocypode, Leptuca, Minuca) and intertidal  (e.g. Hemigrapsus, Cyclograpsus, Gaetice),  although  there  are  also  some catadromous  species  (e.g. Eriocheir).  Larval  development  is  always  linked  to  the  sea. Varunidae  comprises 160  species,  and  larval  stages  are  known  for  38  of  them.  For Ocypodidae, data exists on larval stages for 27 out of the 138 described species. In both groups, a combination of larval features exists that allows distinction at a familial level. This leaflet presents the known larval stages of the 11 species, 6 varunids and 5 ocypodids, distributed inICES area: Asthenognathus atlanticus, Brachynotus  atlanticus, B.  sexdentatus, Eriocheir  sinensis, Hemigrapsus  sanguineus, H.  takanoi, Leptuca pugilator, Minuca  minax, M. pugnax, Afruca  tangeri,  and Ocypode  quadrata. The  leaflet includes a  key  to  identify  zoea and megalopa  stages  of  these  species,  with  some  exceptions where  no  accurate morphological characters are present which would allow clear distinction.