The data provided here was collected with the aim of providing information on spatial and temporal variability of the abundance, composition, and assemblages of settlement stage of brachyuran crabs in the Canary Islands (NW Africa) by sampling with light traps during four consecutive environmental seasons. Moreover, the data was collected to study the effect of Marine Protected Areas controlling larval assemblages in relation to non-indigenous species and indigenous species with commercial interest. Samples were collected with the Ecocean CARE® light trap. The CARE light trap consisted of a float with a watertight block containing a rechargeable light, and a 2 m conical net (2 mm mesh size) hanging 1.5 m below the sea surface The dataset includes abundance information of decapod crustacean larvae (megalopa stage) at various locations of El Hierro islands (Orchilla, Bonanza, Tacorón and Bahía de Naos) and Lanzarote island (Playa Quemada, Mala, Punta Fariones and Montaña Amarilla). The study spanned four consecutive oceanographic seasons (October-November 2019, March-May 2020, September-October 2020 and March-April 2021). The limited information available on the temporal and spatial dynamics of decapod crustacean larvae in tropical and subtropical regions makes this dataset highly valuable for the scientific community.

Funding: Award no. 2019/S 063-146989; project: "Seguimiento de especies y hábitats indicadores de cambio climático a largo plazo en el archipiélago canario", cofunded by Operational Program FEDER Canarias (2014-2020) and the Government of the Canary Islands