SETTLEMENT-PATTERNS OF CONCHOLEPAS-CONCHOLEPAS (BRUGIERE) (MOLLUSCA, MURICIDAE) IN THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL ZONE OF VALDIVIA, CHILE

Settlement patterns of Concholepas concholepas, based in 45 permanent quadrats located at the Marine. Reserve of Mehuin during 4 years, am d escribed. Additionally, larval occurrence at the exposed zone between August 1989 to September 1990 is shown; as well as, early and competen t veliger at the epineuston in front of the coast of Valdivia, from Ja nuary 1991 until August 1992. A high concordance was found between the presence of competent larvae and settlement of individuals smaller th an 2.5 mm of total length at the intertidal. Nevertheless. a high inte rannual variability was detected, being very low in 1989, median in 19 90, high during 1991 and almost nonexistent in 1992. We suggest that t he coastal arrival of larvae can be related with oceanographic lineal phenomena. generated by north wind components. On the other hand, the interannual variance of recruitment is a phenomenon that is observed r egionally and must be associated with large scale oceanographic phenom ena.