Morphological Variation Among Populations of Uca rapax in the Gulf of Mexico and Northern Caribbean

This study explores the relationship between phenotypic variation in the carapace morphology and the geographic distribution of Uca rapax population in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and the Northern Caribbean Sea. Carapace or body shape in 37 populations is analyzed quantitatively and correlated with two habitat variables: salinity and location. Although there is morphological overlap among populations grouped by habitat, they are significantly different when sorted by geographic region. Populations from the northern and western Gulf of Mexico diverge from those in Florida, the Yucatan and the northern Caribbean implying restricted larval dispersal and/or differential habitat selection.