Abstract: We studied the development of the compound eyes in Macrobrachium nipponense by histological section methods and electron microscopy.The results showed:At gastrula stage, the cells in front of the embryonic area graduslly cleave to form optic disc rudiment.When the embryo reaches egg-metanauplius stage,the optic ganglion bigins to form. At egg-protozoea stage,the pigment begins to appear. The structure of the compound eyes at egg-zoea stage is similar to the adult,which including lentigen,lentigen cell,crystalline cell, retirular cell and rhabdom.

Key words: embryonic development, opic disc rudiment, compound eyes, Macrobrachium nipponense, embryonic development, opic disc rudiment, compound eyes