Community structure and seasonal changes of the decapod crustacean fauna in the Cretan continental shelf.  <B>Community structure and seasonal changes of the decapod crustacean fauna in the Cretan continental shelf.</B><P></B><B>DOUNAS C., SMITH C., LAMPADARIOU N., ELEFTHERIOU A. </B><P> During a biological investigation in Iraklion Bay from 1988 to 1991 conducted with the R/V <I>Philia</I> , an important collection of decapods was obtained from soft substrate in depths ranging from 10 to 190 m. A total of 51 sampling stations of the pilot survey was carried out in the area and 5 replicate samples in 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 m and 10 replicates in 70, 100. 130, 160 m were taken bimonthly along a depth transect using a O.l M2 Smith McIntyre grab. Additionally, single 15 min. trawls at 1 knot were performed seasonally in the deepest stations ( from 70 to 160m) using an Agassiz trawl. The samples comprised 67 species differing widely in their depth distribution. The analytical methods used revealed three distinct decapod assemblages: a coastal silty-sand assemblage with <I>Caulerpa prolifera </I>(Forscal) Lamouroux characterized by the thalassinidean shrimps <I>Gourretia denticulata </I>(Lutze) and <I>Upogebia tipica</I> (Nardo) and the caridean <I>Automate branchialis </I>Holthuis<I> </I>& Gottlieb (10-40 <I>m), </I>a sandly-silt assemblage characterized by the caridean <I>Processa nouveli </I>Al-Adhub & Williamson and the hermit crabs <I>Anapagurus loevis </I>(Bell) and <I>Anapagurus bicorniger </I>A. Milne Edwards & Bouvier (40 - 100m) and a clayey-silt assemblage characterized by the penaeid shrimp <I>Parapenoeus</I> <I>longirostris</I> (Lucas), the carideans <I>Chorotocus crassicornis </I>(Costa) and <I>Pontocaris lacazei</I> (Gourret) and the brachyuran <I>Ebalia nux</I> A.Milne Edwards (100-190 m). The seasonal and spatial distribution of the most abundant species is presented and information on their biology, zoogeography and ecology is given. The two sampling methods are compared and the need for the combination of both is stressed to allow the true estimation of the decapod population parameters.<P> FIRST EUROPEAN CRUSTACEAN CONFERENCE Aug.31-Sept.5 1992<P>