Manca

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The manca (plural: mancae) is the post-larval juvenile in some crustaceans. The term is derived from Latin mancus, meaning "defective, imperfect." The manca stage is the defining characteristic of a clade called Mancoida which comprises all the members of the Peracarida except the Mysidacea and the Amphipoda. Mancae closely resemble the adult form, but for the absence of the last pair of pereiopods. In some isopods, specifically the family Gnathiidae, the manca stage is a parasite of fish, and is also known as the praniza.

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