AbstractAll six naupliar stages of six species ofTisbeLilljeborg, 1853 are compared:Tisbe gracilis(T. Scott, 1895),T. cucumariaeHumes, 1957,T. furcata(Baird, 1837),T. bulbisetosaVolkmann‐Rocco, 1972,T. bolothuriaeHumes, 1957 andT. battagliaiVolkmann‐Rocco, 1972. The nauplii ofT. cucumariaeare described and differences to those of the other species are specified. The appendages of only nauplius VI are figured.T. bolothuriaeandT. battagliai irecharacterized by the reduction of oral structures. A cladogram depicting relationships withinTisbeis deduced from a comparison and evaluation of these naupliar characters. The cladogram supports some previous findings, viz. the close relationship ofT. bolothuriaeandT. battagliaias well as ofT gracilisandT. cucumariaebut deviates in other respects from the cladogram deduced by Dahmset al. (1991, this volume) from adult characters. The discrepancies are discus