Desarrollo larval de Mursia gaudichaudi (Milne Edwards 1837) (Decapoda, Brachyura, Calappidae)

the larval development oí mursia gaudichaudi is described based on the laboratory cultivated zoeae in stages i and ii, and plankton samples of zoeae from stages i to iv. the laboratory-reared larvae were obtained from ovigerous females captured off the coast of coquimbo, northern chile. their morphological and morphometric characteristics allowed identifying the larvae captured with plankton nets in the área of caldera, and coquimbo, northern chile, during spring time of year 2005. the espinule in the proximal región of the rostral spine, those of lateral carapace spines, the spiny processes of the antenna, and the length and insertion of the lateral abdominal spines are the principal characteristics that allow differentiating them from the remaining species of the superfamily calappoidea (calappidae and hepatidae).