Manca Explained

The manca (plural: mancae) is the post-larval juvenile in some crustaceans. The manca stage is the defining characteristic of a clade called Mancoida which comprises all the member of the Peracarida except the Amphipoda.[1] Mancae closely resemble the adult form, but for the absence of the last pair of pereiopods.[1] In some isopods, specifically the family Gnathiidae, the manca stage is a parasite of fish, and is also known as the praniza.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Peter Ax . 2000 . The Phylogenetic System of the Metazoa . Multicellular Animals . 2 . . 978-3-540-67406-1 . Peracarida . 174–178 . https://books.google.com/books?id=FweHI7uZ198C&pg=PA176.
  2. Book: Albert O. Bush . 2001 . Parasitism: the Diversity and Ecology of Animal Parasites . . 978-0-521-66447-9 . Crustacea . 226–241 . https://books.google.com/books?id=Q6Kl0FbvStoC&pg=PA235.