Observation on maturation and berried females
Mature females with fully developed and ripe ovaries
were observed through their transparent carapace.
Their abdominal pleurae were bent slightly
inwards, the pleopods became slightly distended
and arched outwards, to form the space between
them. Below the abdomen an enlarged brood
chamber accommodated a large number of eggs,
being spawned during breeding. The basal segmentsof the pleopods especially from the first
three pairs were enlarged and provided with soft
long setae called ovigerous setae, which bears the
eggs. The development of gonads in females was
matured from April onwards.