Statistical analysis showed that larval survival of S.serrata to the megalopa stage was significantly affected by both temperature (F547.403, d.f.53,P50.0001) and the interaction of temperature and salinity (F52.869, d.f.59, P50.0001). At low salinity 15 g L1, despite the fact that two larvae managed to moult to the megalopal stage at 28 1C, no survival to the ¢rst crab stage was recorded for all the temperatures tested.