manca

The manca (plural: mancae) are post-larval juveniles 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. Mancae closely resemble the adult form, but for the absence of the last pair of pereiopods. In some isopods, specifically the family Cymothoidae, the manca stage is a parasite of fish, and is also known as the praniza.