LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF NAUTICARIS-MAGELLANICA (EDWARDS,A.MILNE, 1891) (DECAPODA, CARIDEA, HIPPOLYTIDAE), REARED UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

Nauticaris magellanica is the only representative of this genus inhabi ting the southern part of South America. Ovigerous females were collec ted from mussel raft cultures in Metri, central-southern Chile. Larvae were reared at 13 degrees C and 31 parts per thousand in the laborato ry from hatching to the first juvenile stage. The larval development c onsists of a minimum of nine zoeal stages; the only juvenile obtained passed through five decapodid stages. Early developmental stages are d escribed, and morphological characters of newly-hatched larvae were co mpared with those of N. marionis: both species are separable using (1) the presence/absence of a row of small denticles located at the poste ro-dorsal margin of the fifth abdominal segment, and (2) the size of t he larvae. Despite some differences between the morphology of the juve nile obtained and reported adult characteristics, the juvenile was suf ficiently developed to allow identification to the species level.