| Although common and in some cases of commercial value, little is known about the mechanisms and processes that affect the distribution and abundance of many species of decapod crustaceans, particularly in Chile. All of these species have planktonic larvae that must settle and recruit before becoming part of the adult segments of their populations. For several of these species we have detected the presence of a variety of color morphs in newly settled individuals. The existence of these morphs in Chilean species is comparable with those observed in other latitudes (e.g., coast of the Gulf of Maine). On the other hand, it is characteristic that the occurrence of these patterns only appears during the early juvenile stages and that after reaching a certain... |
