The zoea1 stages of Philyra kanekoi Sakai, 1934 were obtained by laboratory rearing. Three zoeal stages were described and illustrated in detail. Zoeal morphology was compared with those of other described species of the family Leucosiidae. Morphological comparisons with congeneric species revealed that zoeas of P. kanekoi were more similar to those of P. pisum and P. platychira than to other Philyra. The present material could be distinguished from other Philyrinae species by having no dorsal carapace spine, a spinous tip of the antenna, and no chromatophore on the base of a dorsal carapace spine. Within the family Leucosiidae, the zoeas of three Philyra (P. kanekoi, P. pisum and P. platychira) showed the greatest affinities with Leucosia sima and L. pubescens (Leucosiinae), and the number of setae on the basipod of the first maxilliped could be very useful characterisitcs for indentification between Philyra and Leucosia zoeas.