The naupliar stages and copepodite I of Perulernaea gamitanae Thatcher & Paredes, 1985 which had been hatched from eggs taken from adult females, were studied. The parasitic adults were removed from specimens of tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1818) (Osteichthyes: Characidae), from culture ponds in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Development from nauplius I to nauplius VI occurred in five days at 28ºC. Each stage was preceded by moulting. The main difference among the stages is the increasing number of setae and spines, in particular on the last segment of the antennule, the number on the caudal rami and variation in size and shape of the body. On day six, the first copepodite stage appeared. This stage lasted seven days without moulting. Detailed morphological descriptions and illustrations were made of all the naupliar stages and the first copepodite stage.
Parasites of Freshwater Fishes; Copepoda; Life Cycle; Amazon