The diet of cubomedusae (cnidaria, cubozoa in southern Brazil

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Miodeli Nogueira Júnior

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The diet of cubomedusae Tamoya haplonema Müller, 1859 (Carybdeidae and Chiropsalmus quadrumanus (Müller, 1859 (Chirodropidae was examined in specimens collected on the Southern Brazilian coast (25º20' - 25º55'S; 48º10' - 48º35'W, between December 1998 and December 2004. This is the first study to analyze this biological aspect in cubomedusae from the South Atlantic. The gastrovascular cavities of most (55%; n = 29 specimens of T. haplonema were empty while the remainder had teleosteans parts such as scales, vertebrae and otoliths. In C. quadrumanus (n = 726, the most important items were the pelagic sergestid shrimp Peisos petrunkevitchi Burkenroad, 1945 and Brachyura larvae, mainly megalops. Small crabs, isopods, fish, fish eggs and nematodes were less common. A dietary shift was clearly observed during C. quadrumanus growth. Smaller individuals consumed a greater variety of prey, mostly Brachyura larvae, and they also had higher frequencies of empty stomachs. As their size increased, megalopas decreased and P. petrunkevitchi became the most important item in their diet.A dieta das cubomedusas Tamoya haplonema Müller, 1859 (Carybdeidae e Chiropsalmus quadrumanus (Müller, 1859 (Chirodropidae foi analisada em espécimes coletados no litoral do Paraná (25º20' - 25º55'S; 48º10' - 48º35'W, sul do Brasil, entre dezembro de 1998 e dezembro de 2004, e é o primeiro estudo a abordar este aspecto da biologia de Cubozoa no Atlântico Sul. A cavidade gastrovascular da maioria (55% dos 29 exemplares de T. haplonema mostrou-se vazia, e dos demais continha partes corporais de peixes teleósteos, como escamas, vértebras e otólitos. Em 726 exemplares de C. quadrumanus os itens alimentares mais importantes foram o camarão sergestídeo Peisos petrunkevitchi Burkenroad, 1945 e larvas de Brachyura, principalmente megalopas. Pequenos caranguejos, isópodes, peixes, ovos de peixes e nematóides foram menos comuns. Mudanças na dieta evidenciaram

Brachyura, Grapsidae, Sesarminae

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1986-11-17

Nov 17, 1986 ... subfamily. The diagnostic value of some features of larval morphology is briefly discussed. ... plastic containers filled with sea water (35 %0 salinity) and kept at 20°C ..... podite of the second maxilliped bears no setae. This is a.

DECAPODA, BRACHYURA, MAJIDAE

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BRIAN KENS LEY. South African Museum. Cape Town. Accepted: May 1977. ABSTRACT. Lambrachaew rami/er Alcock, previously known only from a single record from the Andaman. Islands, is recorded from a shallow reef off Zululand. The specimen, an ovigerous female, is described and figured. INTRODUCTION.

Preliminary checklists for two Important Bird Areas of Ethiopia: Sof ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ethiopia harbours 837 bird species, 18 of which are endemic and a further 14 near endemic (shared ... of these IBAs. Sof Omar (6°54' N, 40°47' E; 1150–1450 m) and Shek Husein (7°50' N, 40°35 E; c. ... They were more slender than other swifts, and darker than African .... Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura.

Dynamic patterns of zooplankton transport and migration in Catuama Inlet (Pernambuco, Brazil, with emphasis on the decapod crustacean larvae Patrones dinámicos de transporte y migración de zooplancton en el estuario Catuama (Pernambuco, Brasil, con énfasis en las larvas de crustáceos decápodos

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Ralf Schwamborn

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to quantify and to model zooplankton transport with emphasis on decapod crustacean larvae. Sampling was carried out at three depths with a plankton pump coupled to a 300-/¿m mesh. Current data were obtained with an ADCP. Our data showed the existence of vertically and horizontally heterogeneous current and transport fields. We identified 27 groups of Decapoda (larvae of Sergestidae, Porcellanidae, Upogebiidae, Cari dea, Brachyura. Most of the species and larval phases showed characteristic vertical migration patterns, in phase with the diurnal tidal cycles, thus enhancing retention or export from the estuary.Esta investigación tiene como objetivo cuantificar y modelar el transporte de zooplancton, con énfasis en las larvas de Crustacea Decapoda. El muestreo se realizó a tres profundidades con una bomba de plancton acoplada a una red con malla de 300 /¿m. Se obtuvieron los datos de corrientes con un ADCP. Los datos mostraron la existencia de campos de corrientes y de transporte vertical y horizontal heterogéneos. Se identificaron 27 grupos de Decapoda (larvas de Sergestidae, Porcellanidae, Upogebiidae, Caridea, Brachyura. La mayoría de las especies y fases larvales mostraron patrones de migración vertical característicos, en fase con los ciclos de la marea diurnos, favoreciendo la retención o exportación del estuario.

New primers for amplification of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I barcode region designed for species of Decapoda (Crustacea

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Fernando L. Mantelatto

Full Text Available Abstract We designed 14 new primers for amplification of the COI barcode region of decapod crustacean species. We tested, with high level of success, the generation of ~ 640 ± 49 base-pair sequences in selected groups of decapods (hermit crabs, squat lobsters, marine and freshwater crabs and shrimps, encompassing representatives of 27 genera of 15 families, 11 of Pleocyemata (Anomura, Brachyura, and Caridea and 4 of Dendrobranchiata. Based on the results we expect the applicability of these primers for several studies with different taxa within Decapoda.

Distribuição larval planctônica de Bachyura (Crustacea, Decapoda) na região de Ubatuba, com novas descrições larvais para o gênero Persephona Leach, 1817

OpenAIRE

Hirose, Gustavo Luis [UNESP

2009-01-01

Como na maioria dos invertebrados marinhos, os Brachyura possuem em seu ciclo de vida uma fase larval, a qual pode constituir-se em vários estágios (zoeas) antes de tornarem-se competentes para o assentamento. Durante esta fase, as larvas estão expostas às variações ambientais, os quais influenciam suas chances de sobrevivência e desenvolvimento. Entre estes fatores, podemos citar as variáveis físicas e químicas, como a temperatura, salinidade, luz e poluentes; além de alguns fatores biológic...

Monomia calla, a new species of swimming crab (Decapoda, Portunidae) from Madagascar and the Philippines.

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, Milan; Nguyen, Thanh Son; Ďuriš, Zdeněk

2015-07-06

A new species of portunid crab (Brachyura: Portunidae) from southern Madagascar and central Philippines is described. Monomia calla sp. nov. is most similar in morphology to M. lecromi (Moosa, 1996) from the Chesterfield Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, and M. rubromarginata (Lanchester, 1900) from the South China Sea, Singapore, Malay Archipelago and the northern half of Australia. The new species can be easily distinguished from all congeners by the distinctive morphology of the male first gonopod. The number of species of the Indo-West Pacific genus Monomia now stands at 12.

Macroepizoísmo em Libinia ferreirae (Crustacea, Brachyura, Majidae Macroepizoites on Libinia ferreirae (Crustacea, Brachyura, Majidae

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Vanessa C. Winter

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Um estudo de distribuição dos macroepizóicos foi realizado numa população do caranguejo-aranha Libinia ferreirae Brito Capello, 1871 proveniente do litoral dos estados do Paraná e de Santa Catarina. O material biológico foi obtido junto aos pescadores, e faz parte do rejeito de pesca. Os caranguejos foram mensurados e os macroepizóicos identificados e contados. Os seguintes macroepizóicos sésseis foram registrados: Calliactis tricolor (Lesueur, 1817 (Cnidaria; Actiniaria (Cnidaria; Arca sp. (Mollusca; Ostreidae (Mollusca; Acanthodesia tenuis (Desor, 1848 (Bryozoa; Cirripedia e duas espécies tubícolas de Gammaridea (Crustacea. Além destes organismos ocorreram dois tubos desabitados e quatro animais vágeis. A anêmona C. tricolor foi a espécie mais abundante e freqüente, sendo, provavelmente, utilizada como mecanismo de camuflagem pelo caranguejo. O macroepizoísmo em L. ferreirae está relacionado com a idade ou tamanho do caranguejo, tendo maior incidência naqueles mais velhos ou de maior porte. Entretanto, a densidade dos macroepizóicos por caranguejo se mantém em torno de três. Não há relação entre o macroepizoísmo e o sexo do hospedeiro; somente fêmeas ovígeras utilizam desse recurso mais freqüentemente do que as não-ovígeras. Devido à maior área de fixação, os macroepizóicos colonizam principalmente a carapaça do caranguejo, enquanto nos pereiópodos há predominância de Bryozoa.A study of the distribution of the macroepizoites was carried out on a population of the spider crab Libinia ferreirae Brito Capello, 1871 from the Southern Brazilian coast. Crabs were obtained from shrimps and fishes by-catch. They were measured, and their macroepizoites were identified and counted. The following sessile macroepizoites were registered: Calliactis tricolor (Lesueur, 1817 (Cnidaria; Actiniaria (Cnidaria; Arca sp. (Mollusca; Ostreidae (Mollusca; Acanthodesia tenuis (Desor, 1848 (Bryozoa; Cirripedia and two species of Gammaridea (Crustacea. The sea anemone C. tricolor was the most frequent species and probably it is used as a mechanism of camouflage by crabs. Macroepizoites on L. ferreirae are related to its age or size, therefore, bigger or older crabs had greater incidence of macroepizoites. However, the density of macroepizoites is about three per crab. There is not a relationship between macroepizoism and sex of the host, but ovigerous females use this resource more frequently than non-ovigerous ones. Due to larger setting area, macroepizoites colonize mainly the carapace of the host; bryozoans predominate in hosts' pereiopods.

Potamonautid river crabs (Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamonautidae ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT · http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/wsa.v27i1.5015 · AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's · More about AJOL · AJOL's Partners · Terms and Conditions of Use ...

Complete mitochondrial genome of Clistocoeloma sinensis (Brachyura: Grapsoidea): Gene rearrangements and higher-level phylogeny of the Brachyura.

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Zhao-Zhe; Liu, Yu; Zhang, Dai-Zhen; Chai, Xin-Yue; Wang, Zheng-Fei; Zhang, Hua-Bin; Zhou, Chun-Lin; Tang, Bo-Ping; Liu, Qiu-Ning

2017-06-23

Deciphering the animal mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) is very important to understand their molecular evolution and phylogenetic relationships. In this study, the complete mitogenome of Clistocoeloma sinensis was determined. The mitogenome of C. sinensis was 15,706 bp long, and its A+T content was 75.7%. The A+T skew of the mitogenome of C. sinensis was slightly negative (-0.020). All the transfer RNA genes had the typical cloverleaf structure, except for the trnS1 gene, which lacked a dihydroxyuridine arm. The two ribosomal RNA genes had 80.2% A+T content. The A+T-rich region spanned 684 bp. The gene order within the complete mitogenome of C. sinensis was identical to the pancrustacean ground pattern except for the translocation of trnH. Additionally, the gene order of trnI-trnQ-trnM in the pancrustacean ground pattern becomes trnQ-trnI-trnM in C. sinensis. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that C. sinensis and Sesarmops sinensis cluster together with high nodal support values, indicating that C. sinensis and S. sinensis have a sister group relationship. The results support that C. sinensis belongs to Grapsoidea, Sesarmidae. Our findings also indicate that Varunidae and Sesarmidae species share close relationships. Thus, mitogenomes are likely to be valuable tools for systematics in other groups of Crustacea.

New records of Decapod Crustaceans (Decapoda: Pontoniinae and Inachidae associated with sea anemones in Turkish waters

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Z. DURIS

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Three anemone-associated decapod crustaceans, two shrimp species, Periclimenes amethysteus and P. aegylios (Caridea: Palaemonidae: Pontoniinae, and the crab Inachus phalangium (Brachyura: Inachidae, all collected from the Dardanelles, are reported for the first time from Turkish coasts. Another inachid crab, Macropodia czernjawskii is also reported for the first time to occur in association with the sea anemone, Anemonia viridis. Periclimenes scriptus was the fifth decapod species recorded associated with sea anemones within the present study, and while this species has already been reported from Turkish waters, this is the first time it is recorded from the Dardanelles (the Turkish Straits System.

Descriptions and revised key to the eggcases of the skates (Rajiformes: Rajidae) and catsharks (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) of the British Isles.

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Gordon, Cat A; Hood, Ali R; Ellis, Jim R

2016-08-12

Updated descriptions and measurements for the eggcases of 10 rajiform and three scyliorhinid species occurring in the shelf seas around the British Isles are given, based on museum material, specimens collected during the 'Great Eggcase Hunt' (a Shark Trust recording project), and specimens obtained from fishery surveys. Quantitative data are given for Amblyraja radiata (n = 94), Dipturus batis (n = 24), D. cf. intermedia (n = 33), Leucoraja naevus (n = 94), Raja brachyura (n = 53), R. clavata (n = 52), R. microocellata (n = 57), R. montagui (n = 52), R. undulata (n = 52), Rostroraja alba (n = 5), Galeus melastomus (n = 7), Scyliorhinus canicula (n = 52) and S. stellaris (n = 58). An updated key for the identification of elasmobranch eggcases is provided, incorporating recent changes in skate taxonomy.

Theoretical basis of allometric relationships in juvenile brachyura ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... fishery scientists. The present analytical studies has opened a new approach to the elucidation of the biological significance of the allometric factor b, through the theories of tractal geometry (where b is seen as a fractal dimension equivalent and salutatory ontogeny where b is a critical point in the early life history of crabs.

Eocene crabs (Crustacea, Brachyura) from Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Collins, J.H.S.; Donovan, S.K.

2005-01-01

Recently discovered crabs from the Middle to Upper Eocene of northern Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, include well-preserved carapaces of Montezumella rutteni Van Straelen, originally described from an incomplete holotype. The more comprehensive description of this species provided herein includes

Littoral Decapods of Socorro Island, Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico

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Silvia Mille-Pagaza

2003-03-01

Full Text Available Decapod community inhabiting the rocky littoral of eight bays from Socorro island, Revillagigedo Archipelago, was studied during March 1992. Samples were collected from one-square meter plots placed following transects drawn perpendicularly to the shoreline along the intertidal zone. Species richness and abundance were determined in each bay, as well as the similarity between bays using Morisita’s index. Organisms collected belong to six families, 20 genera and 26 species of the Brachyura and Anomura infraorders. Xanthidae was the family with the highest number of species, and the highest species richness was recorded at the V. Lozano bay. Pachygrapsus transversus, Xanthodius cooksoni and Calcinus explorator were the most abundant species in nearly all localities. Dendrogram obtained define two groups of bays at a similarity level above 0.67, given the similarity in the crab’s species richness and their abundance between bays in the island.Se estudió la comunidad de cangrejos del litoral rocoso de ocho bahías de la Isla Socorro, Archipiélago Revillagigedo en marzo de 1992. Las muestras fueron colectadas en cuadrantes de un m² a lo largo de transectos perpendiculares a la costa en la zona intermareal. Se determinó la riqueza específica, la abundancia por especie para cada bahía, así como la similitud entre bahías mediante el índice de Morisita. Los organismos colectados pertenecen a seis familias, 20 géneros y 26 especies de los infraordenes Brachyura y Anomura. La familia con el mayor número de especies fue Xanthidae y la mayor riqueza específica se registró en la bahía V. Lozano. Pachygrapsus transversus, Xanthodius cooksoni y Calcinus explorator fueron las más abundantes en casi todas las localidades. En el dendrograma se definen dos agrupaciones con nivel de similitud superior a 0.67, dada la semejanza en la riqueza específica de cangrejos y las abundancias entre las bahías.

Feeding of guitarfish Rhinobatos percellens (Walbaum, 1972 (Elasmobranchii, Rhinobatidae, the target of artisanal fishery in Southern Brazil

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Hugo Bornatowski

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Rhinobatos percellens is one of three species of Rhinobatidae found on Brazilian shores and is one of the most abundant species on the shallow continental shelf of Paraná and Santa Catarina States. Specimens caught by artisanal fishery between July/2001 and March/2003 by fishing communities located on the frontier between two southern Brazilian States (Paraná and Santa Catarina had their stomach contents analyzed. According to the Alimentary Index (IAi, Decapoda (69% and Teleostei (22% were the main items consumed. Polychaeta, a common prey consumed by several benthonic fishes, was poorly represented in the feeding of R. percellens. This fact may be related to the availability of prey in the environment, or to the size of the guitarfish analyzed (ontogeny. Seasonal variance of main preys (with higher IAi was observed: Dendrobranchiata and Pleocyemata displayed higher percentages in spring and autumn, Teleostei in the winter and Brachyura during the summer.Rhinobatos percellens é uma das três espécies de Rhinobatidae encontrada na costa brasileira e uma das espécies de elasmobrânquio mais abundante na plataforma continental dos estados do Paraná e Santa Catarina. Indivíduos capturados pela pesca artesanal entre Julho/2001 e Março/2003 nas comunidades pesqueiras localizadas entre o Paraná e Santa Catarina tiveram seus conteúdos estomacais analisados. O Índice de Importância Alimentar (IAi mostrou que as principais presas consumidas foram Decapoda (69% e Teleostei (22%. Polychaeta, principal presa ingerida por várias espécies de peixes bentônicos foi pouco expressiva na alimentação de R. percellens. Essa diferença pode estar relacionada com a disponibilidade de presas no ambiente ou com o tamanho das raias analisadas (ontogenia. De acordo com análises sazonais, observou-se que os camarões Dendrobranchiata e Pleocyemata foram as principais presas consumidas durante a primavera e outono, Teleostei durante o inverno e Brachyura

Crescimento em Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille (Crustacea, Brachyura, Grapsidae em laboratório Growth in Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille (Crustacea, Brachyura, Grapsidae in laboratory

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Zilanda de Souza Silva

2002-09-01

Full Text Available The growth of the crab Goniospis cruentata (Latreille. 1803, was studied in the laboratory, through of the molt increment and intermolt period. A total of 86 crabs (48 males and 38 females were collected in the ltacuruçá's Mangrove in Mangaratiba's county. Rio de Janeiro. The crabs were maintened in the laboratory in four 1000 l tanks, with continuous water circulation during fifteen months. They were fed each two days with pieces of fish and fruits. The crabs varied in size from 19.3 to 56.0 mm in males and 23.3 to 48.8 mm in females. The males presented until four molts during the experiment and the females until six molts. The molts oceurred during ali the months. The mean percentage of molt increment was 6.1 ± 2.7%, for both sexes and it decreased with the animal growth. The relation between the molt increment and the carapace width can be expressed by the equation IM = -0.32LC + 18.26 (r = -0.82. This relation didn't show any significative difference between the sexes. The mean intermolt period was of 87.6 + 37.3 days in male crabs and 97.3 ± 27.6 days in females. The growth was contiguous, through successive molts, although the increment was reduced with animal size. The intermolt period was proportional to the animal size increase, however males with autotomy of limbs had the intermolt period reduced.

Tidal exchange of larvae of Sesarma catenata (Decapoda, Brachyura)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The tidal exchange of larvae of the salt-marsh grapsid crab Sesarma catenata was studied in the Swartkops estuary, a tidally driven, shallow estuary in Algoa Bay, South Africa. Plankton samples were collected bimonlhly during spring and neap tides from October to March at the tidal inlet. Samples were collected hourly for ...

Activity and feeding of Dotilla fenestrata (Brachyura: Ocypodidae) in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The activity of and consumption of organic material by the sand-bubbler crab Dotilla fenestrata was studied over neap and spring tides on a sheltered sand bank close to the mouth of the warm, temperate Kowie Estuary, South Africa. Crabs emerged from their burrows only after the tide receded, and it was light. Time to ...

The occurrence of Callinectes arcuatus ordway, 1863 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Portunidae in Bahia, Brazil

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Edilson Pires de Gouvêa

1987-01-01

Full Text Available During the study of the Carcinofauna of the Bahian Coast, some Brachyura Portunidae were found. Some of these animals were Callinectes arcuatus Ordway, 1863 which has its distribution restricted to the Pacific Ocean, from California to Peru and the Galapagos Islands. This is the first occurrence of this species reported from the Atlantic Ocean and the Brazilian Coast (Bahia, 38º50'Wand 12º50'S.Durante o estudo da carcinofauna do litoral baiano, muitos Braquiuros Portunidae foram encontrados. Alguns destes animais foram Callinectes arcuatus Ordway, 1863 que possuia sua distribuição restrita da Califórnia ao Peru e Ilhas Galápagos, no Oceano Pacífico. Esta é a primeira ocorrência desta espécie no Oceano Atlântico e na Costa Brasileira. (Bahia, 12º50'S e 38º50'W.

Palicus Alternatus Rathbun (Decapoda: Brachyura un nuevo registro para el Caribe colombiano Palicus Alternatus Rathbun (Decapoda: Brachyura un nuevo registro para el Caribe colombiano

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Campos Néstor Hernando

1991-06-01

Full Text Available Se describe por primera vez para el Caribe colombiano un representante de la familia de cangrejos Palicidae, Palicus alternatus Rathbun, 1897, de la región de Santa Marta. Se complementa la descripción y se hacen anotaciones sobre su dimorfismo sexual. One member of the crab family Palicidae, Palicus alternatus Rathbun, 1897, is described by the first time for the Colombian Caribbean; the species was collected in the Santa Marta region. The description of P. alternatus is completed, including a discussion of its sexual dimorphism.

The diet and feeding ecology of Conger conger (L. 1758 in the deep waters of the Eastern Ionian Sea

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A. ANASTASOPOULOU

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The diet of the European conger eel Conger conger was investigated for the first time in the Eastern Mediterranean. Fish dominated the European conger eel diet in the deep waters of E. Ionian Sea. All other prey taxa were identified as accidental preys. However, intestine analysis showed that Natantia, Brachyura and Cephalopoda might have a more important contribution in the diet of the species. C. conger exhibited a benthopelagic feeding behavior as it preyed upon both demersal and mesopelagic taxa. The high vacuity index and the low stomach and intestine fullness indicated that the feeding intensity of the species in the deep waters of Eastern Ionian Sea was quite low. C. conger feeding strategy was characterised by specialisation in various resource items. A between-phenotype contribution to niche width was observed for some prey categories. European Conger eel feeding specialisation seemed to be an adaptation to a food-scarce environment, as typified in deep-water habitats

Decapod larvae dynamics on Berlengas Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO - Portugal

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Lénia Da Fonseca Alexandre Rato

2014-05-01

Total decapoda abundance ranged from 0,06 ind.m-3 in May 2011 to 64,28ind.m-3 in August 2012, and significantly different between summer/winter and winter/spring months (P(perm≤0,05. The data obtained on this study revealed that Infraorders Brachyura, Anomura and Caridea are the most common. All three are significantly different between months (P(perm≤0,05 but not between sampling stations (P(perm>0,05. Brachyuran abundance was significantly affected by the Oceanograhic Conditions (P(perm≤0,05. Abundances were higher in spring and summer months, when Chlorophyl a values (mg.m-3, Temperature (ºC and Salinity (ppt were also higher. Decapoda community is directly affected by the surrounding environmental conditions in Berlengas Biosphere Reserve and abundance might also be related with specific larvae release throughout the year. Each sampling station was considered a replica from the study area. The ecological importance of Berlengas was also verified by the presence of non-frequent larvae of Achelata and Stomatopoda.

Pesquería y parámetros biométricos de los cangrejos del género Calappa (Brachyura: Calappidae en el oriente de Venezuela

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José J Alió

2005-09-01

para ser comercializadas, mientras que el ejemplar vivo es devuelto al mar, para fines prácticos una relación común para las tres especies, que permitiría convertir el peso de las quelas a peso total del ejemplar sería: Peso total = 3 x peso quelas. No se observa una tendencia descendente significativa en la relación entre las capturas por unidad de esfuerzo y el esfuerzo. La variación de las capturas tiende a seguir la del esfuerzo de pesca, con una tendencia descendente de ambos parámetros en los últimos años. No se encontraron hembras ovadas en las tres especies, por lo que pudieran ocurrir migraciones reproductivas hacia aguas más profundas durante los meses de octubre a enero, cuando la abundancia de los cangrejos es menor en el área de estudio. Se recomienda que la práctica de extraer una sola quela, devolviendo el resto del animal vivo al mar, debe promoverse entre los pescadores, mientras que debería evitarse la extracción de quelas en las hembras.Fishery and biometrics of genus Calappa crabs (Brachyura: Calappidae in northeastern Venezuela. The box crabs, genus Calappa, are important crab species landed by the industrial trawl fleet in Venezuela. These crabs have a wide distribution in the country, from the Gulf of Venezuela to the Orinoco River, but major landings take place in such gulf, near Margarita Island and northern Sucre State. Average annual landing in the eastern region was 69 t during 1970-2001, with a maximum of 221 t. For this study a sample of 2 398 box crabs was collected by observers on board of industrial trawl vessels, which operated in eastern Venezuela from 1994 to 2000. Three species were found in the landings, Calappa sulcata and C. flammea, each represented 47% of the sample, and C. nítida, which accounted for 5% of the sample. Sex ratio was strongly biased towards males in C. sulcata (2.8:1 and in C. flammea (1.9:1, while it was only slightly biased in C. nitida (1.4:1. Due to its large size, C. sulcata is of great

Sistema reproductivo de hembras y machos en Cancer setosus (Molina, 1782 (Decapoda, Brachyura The reproductive system of females and males in Cancer setosus (Molina, 1782 (Decapoda, Brachyura

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Merari Goldstein

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Las hembras del género Cáncer presentan una espermateca cuya conexión con el ovario puede ser dorsal o ventral, dependiendo de la especie. La espermateca es una estructura especializada para la recepción de los espermatóforos los cuales son colocados por el macho durante la cópula. El objetivo de este estudio es la descripción y medición de las estructuras reproductivas de ambos sexos en la jaiba peluda Cáncer setosus. Las hembras presentan un par de ovarios de conformación tipo H, siendo los lóbulos anteriores 2,4 veces más largos que los lóbulos posteriores. La espermateca es de paredes no extensibles y presentó una conexión de tipo ventral con el oviducto, lo que indica una fecundación interna para esta especie. El 64% de las hembras estudiadas presentó un par de tapones espermáticos: En los machos el primer par de pleópodos es tubular con su extremos distal aguzado y/o abierto formando un doblez. El segundo par de pleópodos termina en una estructura en forma de embudo con 12 prolongaciones laterales. Los testículos pares tienen un color blanquecino, y convergen en un vaso deferente, en el cual se puede distinguir tres zonas: una proximal, media y posterior. Cada uno de estos tiene un rol en la elaboración de los espermatóforos y la producción de líquido seminal.Females of the genus Cancer have a spermathecae whose connection with the ovary can be dorsal or ventral, depending on the species. The spermathecae is a structure specialized in receiving the spermatophores released by the male during mating. This study aims to describe and measure the reproductive structures of both sexes in the crab C setosus. Females have a pair of ovaries in an H-type conformation; the anterior lobes are 2.4 times longer than the posterior lobes. The spermathecae has walls that are not extensible and a ventral-type connection with the oviduct, which indicates internal fertilization for this species. Sixty-four percent (64% of the studied females presented a couple of spermatic blockages. In males, the first pair of pleopods is tubular, with the distal tips pointed and/or open, forming a fold. The second pair of pleopods ends in a funnel structure with 12 side extensions. The two testes are whitish in color and converge in a vas deference (VD that has three zones: proximal, middle, and posterior. Each of these plays a role in the elaboration of the spermatophores and seminal fluid production.

Sacculina nectocarcini, a new species of rhizocephalan, a new species of rhizocephalan(Cirripedia: Rhizocephala) parasitising the red rock crabNectocarcinus integrifrons (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae)(Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gurney, Robert H.; Rybakov, Alexey V.; Høeg, Jens Thorvald

2006-01-01

of features pertaining to the structure of the mantle papillae, the retinaculae and the male receptacles. Biological notes, prevalence and intensity of infection are reported for this rhizocephalan, infesting the red rock crab, Nectocarcinus integrifrons, collected from Western Port, Victoria, Australia....

Alimentação de Bairdiella ronchus (Cuvier (Perciformes, Sciaenidae na Baía de Guaratuba, Paraná, Brasil Feeding of Bairdiella ronchus (Cuvier (Perciformes, Sciaenidae at the Guaratuba Bay, Paraná, Brazil

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Ana Lúcia Vendel

1998-01-01

Full Text Available Seasonal variation of food items of Bairdiella ronchus (Cuvier, 1830 classified by size was analysed based on monthly samples between september/1993 and september/1996 at the Guaratuba Bay, Southern Brazil. The stomach contents of a hundred eighty-two fishes were analysed by the Occunence Frequency Method and Point Count for a Lot Method. The individuais were divided in two groups, smaller and longer than 140mm, and a comparative study of digestive tract and branchial are was performed for these groups. For fishes smaller than 140mm the following sequence of items was obtained matching both methods by using the Preponderance índices: decapods (subdivided in Brachyura, Caridea and Penaeidea, polychaets, isopods, fishes, unidentified material, copepods, amphipods, molluscs and plant material. For fishes longer than or equal to 140mm the sequence was decapods, polychaets, fishes, copepods, amphipods, isopods, molluscs and plant material, in this order. These results suggest that Bairdiella ronchus at the Guaratuba Bay is a carnivorous species using mainly decapod crustaceans as food throughout the year.

Osmiine bees of the genus Haetosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species.

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Müller, Andreas; Griswold, Terry

2017-11-29

Haetosmia is a species-poor genus of osmiine bees (Megachilidae) containing six species, which inhabit deserts and semideserts from the Canary Islands to Central Asia. Formerly considered to be restricted to the southern Palaearctic region, the genus is shown here to occur also in the northern Afrotropical region. The females of all six Haetosmia species collect pollen from the narrow-tubed flowers of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) with the aid of specialized pollen-harvesting bristles on the proboscis. Current knowledge suggests that Haetosmia species are restricted to sandy habitats, excavate their nests in the ground and use chewed leaves to construct their urn-shaped brood cells, which are placed side by side in an enlarged chamber at the end of the nesting burrow. The taxonomic revision of Haetosmia revealed the existence of two undescribed species, H. ethiopiensis spec. nov. from eastern Africa and H. pakistaniensis spec. nov. from Pakistan. Due to clear morphological gaps and overlapping distribution area with the nominotypical subspecies, H. brachyura altera (Peters 1974) is elevated to species rank. Keys for the identification of the six Haetosmia species are provided.

Ecomorphology of crabs and swimming crabs (Crustacea DecapodaBrachyura from coastal ecosystems

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Murilo Zanetti Marochi

Full Text Available Abstract Brachyuran crabs are one of the most diverse taxa of crustaceans, occurring in almost all coastal habitats. Due to their high morphological diversification, the authors sought to ascertain the existence of morphological patterns related to the habitat of coastal brachyuran crabs. We analyzed 17 species from mangrove forests, rocky shores, sandy beaches and exclusively aquatic marine/estuarine ecosystems. A total of 16 linear measurements of males and 17 of females were obtained for each habitat. We were able to discriminate three functional groups of crab species, based on their habitat: 1. Complex Substrates, 2. Semiterrestrial, 3. Exclusively Aquatic. The species belonging to the Complex Substrates group had long ambulatory legs, as well as being heteroquely related to uneven terrain. Semiterrestrial species showed ambulatory legs of different sizes, allowing them to walk easily on the terrestrial terrain due to the long fourth ambulatory leg, and long eyestalks which are important for visual communication. Exclusively Aquatic species showed the largest carapace widths and the shortest eyestalks. The presence of different crab lineages in the environments analyzed allows us to demonstrate the clear evolutionary convergence, by which the crabs adapted to their specific habitat and environment.

[Fishery and biometrics of genus Calappa crabs (Brachyura: Calappidae) in northeastern Venezuela].

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Alió, José J; Marcano, Luis A; Altuve, Douglas E

2005-01-01

The box crabs, genus Calappa, are important crab species landed by the industrial trawl fleet in Venezuela. These crabs have a wide distribution in the country, from the Gulf of Venezuela to the Orinoco River, but major landings take place in such gulf, near Margarita Island and northern Sucre State. Average annual landing in the eastern region was 69 t during 1970-2001, with a maximum of 221 t. For this study a sample of 2 398 box crabs was collected by observers on board of industrial trawl vessels, which operated in eastern Venezuela from 1994 to 2000. Three species were found in the landings, Calappa sulcata and C. flammea. each represented 47% of the sample, and C. nitida, which accounted for 5% of the sample. Sex ratio was strongly biased towards males in C. sulcata (2.8:1) and in C. flammnea (1.9:1). while it was only slightly biased in C. nitida (1.4:1). Due to its large size, C. sulcuta is of great commercial interest, with average weight 290 g and a maximum weight of 720 g: C. flammea showed an average weight of 140 g and a maximum weight of 418 g, while C. nitida is the smallest species, with average weight 46 g and maximum weight not beyond 113 g. Box crabs were captured by day and night in similar proportions, and were found in a wide depth range, from a few meters to 126 m deep; however, the largest captures were obtained in the interval 38 - 54 m. Regressions between weight of chelae and total weight were linear, and significantly different between sexes. The relation between total weight and carapace width was allometric, with a power exponent ca. three in C. sulcata, and less than three in C. flamea and C. nitida. Females of C. sulcata and C. nitida showed power exponents significantly smaller than males. Since claws are removed from the animal to be commercialized, while the rest of the animal is returned alive to the sea, for practical purposes a common equation among species and sexes to convert claws weight into total body weight is: total weight - 3 x claws weight. The relationship between catch per unit of effort (CPUE) and effort did not show a significantly decreasing trend, but landings follow the effort trend, with a decreasing tendency in recent years. No mature females were found in any of the three species, thus there could be reproductive migrations towards deeper waters from October to January, when abundance of crabs is lower in the study area. It is recommended that the practice of exploiting only one claw, returning the rest of the animal alive to the sea, should be promoted among fishers, while the removal of claws from female crabs should be avoided.

Ontogenetic scaling of the olfactory antennae and flicking behavior of the shore crab, Hemigrapsus oregonensis.

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Waldrop, Lindsay D

2013-07-01

Malacostracan crustaceans such as crabs flick antennae with arrays of olfactory sensilla called aesthetascs through the water to sense odors. Flicking by crabs consists of a quick downstroke, in which aesthetascs are deflected laterally (splayed), and a slower, reversed return stroke, in which aesthetascs clump together. This motion causes water to be flushed within and then held in between aesthetascs to deliver odor molecules to olfactory receptors. Although this odor sampling method relies on a narrow range of speeds, sizes, and specific arrangements of aesthetascs, most crabs dramatically change these during ontogeny. In this study, the morphometrics of the aesthetascs, array, and antennae and the flicking kinematics of the Oregon shore crab, Hemigrapsus oregonensis (Decapoda: Brachyura), are examined to determine their scaling relationships during ontogeny. The morphometrics of the array and antennae increase more slowly than would be predicted by isometry. Juvenile crabs' aesthetascs splay relatively further apart than adults, likely due to changing material properties of aesthetasc cuticle during growth. These results suggest that disproportionate growth and altered aesthetasc splay during flicking will mediate the size changes due to growth that would otherwise lead to a loss of function.

Profilicollis novaezelandensis n. sp. (Polymorphidae) and two other acanthocephalan parasites from shore birds (Haematopodidae and Scolopacidae) in New Zealand, with records of two species in intertidal crabs (Decapoda: Grapsidae and Ocypodidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Brockerhoff, A M; Smales, L R

2002-05-01

Profilicollis novaezelandensis n. sp. (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) is described from the South Island pied oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus finschi Martens (Haematopodidae) and the intertidal crab Hemigrapsus crenulatus (Milne Edwards) (Brachyura: Grapsidae) from the South Island of New Zealand. The new species can be distinguished from all the other species of the genus by a combination of the following characters: long neck (13% of total body length for adults) and a subspherical proboscis with 14-16 longitudinal rows of 7-8 hooks. The mud crabs Helice crassa Dana (Grapsidae) and Macrophthalmus hirtipes (Heller) (Ocypodidae) were also harbouring cystacanths and the bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica (Linnaeus) (Scolopacidae) juveniles of P. novaezelandensis. This is the first record of brachyuran decapods as intermediate hosts of Acanthocephala from New Zealand. P. antarcticus is recorded from three crab species (Helice crassa, Hemigraspus crenulatus and Macrophthalmus hirtipes) and two bird species (Haematopus o. finschi and Limosa lapponica) in New Zealand. An unidentified species of Plagiorhynchus was also found in two bird species (H. o. finschi and H. unicolor Forster). P. antarcticus and P. novaezelandensis are the first records of Profilicollis from New Zealand.

Genetic analyses determine connectivity among cave and surface populations of the Jamaican endemic freshwater crab Sesarma fossarum in the Cockpit Country

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Manuel Stemmer

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Jamaican freshwater crab Sesarma fossarum (Decapoda: Brachyura: Sesarmidae is endemic to western central Jamaica where it occurs in cave and surface streams of karst regions. In the present study, we examine the population genetic structure of the species, providing evidence for intraspecific differentiation and genetic substructure among twelve sampled populations. Interestingly, crabs from caves appear genetically undistinguishable from representatives of nearby surface waters, despite previously observed and described morphometric differentiation. In contrast, genetic isolation takes place among populations from rivers and caves belonging to different watersheds. In one case, even populations from different tributaries of the same river were characterized by different genotypes. Overall, the species shows low haplotype and nucleotide diversities, which indicates a high homogeneity and point towards a relatively recent intraspecific radiation and diversification. Our results on the genetic diversification of S. fossarum helps to reconstruct unknown subterranean water flow and cave connections in its native range, allowing prediction of its further dispersal and differentiation potential. Unfortunately, its natural habitat of Jamaican cockpit karst, which also is home to several other endemic species and is a globally-recognized Key Biodiversity Area, is under imminent threat of intensive bauxite mining.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of trypsin-like proteases from the gastric fluid of the marine crab Cancer pagurus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hehemann, Jan-Hendrik; Redecke, Lars; Perbandt, Markus; Saborowski, Reinhard; Betzel, Christian

2007-01-01

Two trypsins from the gastric fluid of the marine crab C. pagurus were purified and crystallized and X-ray data were collected to 0.97 and 3.2 Å resolution. The digestive fluid of the marine crab Cancer pagurus (Decapoda, Brachyura) contains highly stable proteases which display enhanced activity in aqueous mixtures of organic solvents. Three trypsins were isolated from the gastric fluid and two of them, C.p.TryII and C.p.TryIII, were purified to homogeneity by anion-exchange chromatography and crystallized by hanging-drop vapour diffusion. Diffraction data were collected at a synchrotron to 0.97 and 3.2 Å resolution, respectively. The crystal of C.p.TryII belongs to the orthorhombic space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 52.06, b = 62.00, c = 71.66 Å. Based on the Matthews coefficient, one protein molecule per asymmetric unit is suggested. In contrast, crystals of C.p.TryIII, which belong to the cubic space group P2 1 3 with unit-cell parameters a = b = c = 215.4 Å, are assumed to contain 12 molecules per asymmetric unit

Estructura del aparato reproductor masculino de Uca uruguayensis (Decapoda, Ocypodidae Structure of the male reproductive tract of Uca uruguayensis (Decapoda, Ocypodidae

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Elena Irene Cuartas

Full Text Available El objetivo de este trabajo es describir las estructuras del sistema reproductor de machos de Uca uruguayensis Nobili, 1901 y estudiar los cambios relacionados con la madurez sexual. Se trabajó con observación estereoscópica de material fresco, técnica histológica de rutina y observaciones en Microscopio Electrónico de Barrido. Se incluyó la caracterización de los gonopodos 1 (G1 y 2 (G2. El tracto reproductor del macho se compone de un par de testículos (T, un vaso deferente (VD tubular y sinuoso y una ampolla terminal (AT. El VD tiene tres secciones, la anterior (VDA, la media (VDM y la posterior (VDP. El VDA y VDM están conformadas por un epitelio simple de células cúbicas. El epitelio del VDP es columnar y con núcleos basales y alongados. El diseño tubular se modifica al ocuparse el lumen del VDP con líquido espermático durante el verano y la musculatura circular se hace más evidente. La porción terminal del VDP se ensancha formando una ampolla (AT que comprende cuatro cámaras interconectadas. Todas las estructuras están rodeadas de una capa de tejido conectivo de poco espesor. Se identifican las modificaciones observadas en la histología de T y VD, definiendo como mas relevantes las observadas desde el mes de noviembre hasta marzo. Estas modificaciones sugieren que U. uruguayensis tiene, en la localidad estudiada, una única estación reproductiva durante el verano en esta latitud. La AT, tal como es descripta, es una estructura que hasta el momento no ha sido mencionada para los Brachyura.The structure of the male reproductive tract was described in Uca uruguayensis Nobili, 1901, by using histological methods, scanning electron microscopy techniques, and stereoscopic observations of fresh material. The aim of this work was to establish the functional changes associated with sexual maturation. The morphology of the first (G1 and second (G2 pair of gonopods was described. The male reproductive tract consists of paired

Checklist of fossil decapod crustaceans from tropical America. Part I: Anomura and Brachyura

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Javier Luque

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Our knowledge of fossil crustaceans from the tropics has increased considerably during recent decades, thanks to novel findings and the re-examination of museum specimens. However, several previous records have been misidentified, numerous museum specimens have never been reported, and many new discoveries are yet to be published. Here, we present a detailed, up-to-date, and revised checklist for every marine, terrestrial, or freshwater fossil decapod crustacean occurrence from tropical America known to us, including their age, geographic occurrences, and related literature. We recognize the occurrence of at least 32 superfamilies, 69 families, 190 genera, and 415 species of brachyurans (‘true’ crabs, and anomurans (‘false’ crabs, hermit crabs, squat lobsters, and allies, several of them previously unknown. The checklist comprises records from three main geographic regions: 1 northern South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela; 2 Central America and southern North America (Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Mexico, southern and central Florida; and 3 the Caribbean Islands + Bermuda (Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, The Grenadines, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint Bartélemy, Saint Martin, Trinidad. Previous findings, new occurrences, and the revised systematic placement for several problematic/misidentified records, indicate that the fossil record of anomurans and brachyurans in tropical America is more diverse than previously envisioned, with a considerable degree of endemism at the genus- and species-levels.

Effect of mercury on survival, metabolism and behavior of larval Uca pugilator (Brachyura)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeCoursey, P J; Vernberg, W B

1972-01-01

A battery of tests was used to determine the effects of three dilute mercuric chloride solutions on larval stages (Zoea I, III, V) of the fiddler crab Uca pugilator(Bosc). The influence of both acute and chronic exposures on viability, oxygen consumption, and swimming activity was measured. No stage V and only a few stage I or III larvae were able to survive a concentration of 9 x 10/sup -7/ M HgCl/sub 2/ (0.18 ppm Hg) longer than 24 hr; an exposure as short as 6 hr resulted in reduced metabolism and swimming rate of all stages. Although concentrations of 9 x 10/sup -9/ M Hg Cl/sub 2/ (0.0018 ppm) and 9 x 10/sup -11/ M HgCl/sub 2/ (0.000018 ppm) were sublethal, 24-hr exposures did affect metabolism and swimming. Some larvae reared in the more dilute mercury solutions developed to the megalopa stage, but survival was reduced in relation to the mercury concentration. The data from all tests suggest that toxicity of mercury increases with larval age. 20 references, 6 figures.

New records of coral-associated crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura: Carpilioidea, Trapezoidea) from Easter Island.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyko, Christopher B; Mendoza, Jose C E; Castro, Peter

2017-01-10

A review is made of those brachyurans that are symbiotic or otherwise associated with scleractinian corals on Easter Island, southeastern Pacific Ocean. A total of seven species is reported, including three species from two families not previously known from the island. Earlier records of Trapezia are analyzed and, although as many as six species have been previously reported, we conclude that only three species are known to occur on the island with certainty.

Development of the male reproductive system in Callinectes ornatus Ordway, 1863 (Brachyura: Portunidae

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Fabiana Aparecida do Nascimento

Full Text Available This study describes the histology and histochemistry of the male reproductive system in Callinectes ornatus, comparing juvenile and adult developmental stages. We also analyzed changes in the gonadosomatic (GSI and hepatosomatic (HSI indices, and the weights of the testis and vas deferens during the development. The results showed that all stages, beginning with the juvenile (JUV, through developing (DEV and mature (MAT adult males of C. ornatus produce sperm and spermatophores. During development, testicular lobes showed the same characteristics of production and release of sperm into the seminiferous duct. The vas deferens showed little histological and histochemical change in the epithelium in juvenile and adult males. The differences consisted of the larger amount of secretion in MAT males compared to JUV and DEV ones. The chemical composition of the seminal fluid was similar, but MAT males produced a more homogeneous secretion. Morphological and physiological maturation are not synchronized in C. ornatus, since JUV males produced spermatophores similar to those in DEV and MAT males. However, these JUV are not yet able to reproduce, since they still have the abdomen attached to the cephalothoracic sternum. The increase of the GSI during development was significant for MAT males, and is related to the production of sufficient volume of seminal fluid to form the sperm "plug" in the female seminal receptacle. The HSI decreased from DEV to MAT adult stages, indicating that reserves from the hepatopancreas are used to develop the reproductive system after the pubertal molt.

Crescimento somático do caranguejo-uçá Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ocypodidae em laboratório Somatic growth of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ocypodidae in laboratory

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Giovana V. Lima

Full Text Available Em crustáceos, o aumento de tamanho ocorre imediatamente após a muda, quando o animal está com a carapaça mole. O crescimento de Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763 foi observado em laboratório, através da ocorrência de muda, incremento de muda e período de intermuda. O estudo foi realizado durante os meses de outubro/2000 a março/2002 e um total de 91 caranguejos (15 machos, 33 fêmeas e 43 juvenis foi coletado no manguezal de Itacuruçá - Coroa Grande, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Os animais foram mantidos em dois tipos de tanques: os caranguejos adultos foram mantidos em tanques de 1000 l, durante 18 meses, enquanto os juvenis foram mantidos em tanques plásticos de 20 l de capacidade durante oito meses. Os animais foram mantidos em sistema aberto de circulação de água do mar e alimentados duas vezes por semana com folhas de Rhizophora mangle (L. (Rhizophoraceae e Laguncularia racemosa (Gaertn. (Combretaceae. A largura da carapaça variou entre 50,1 a 70,0 mm nos machos, 40,2 a 80,0 mm entre as fêmeas e 1,1 a 40,1 mm entre os juvenis. A sobrevivência dos espécimes estudados foi de 46,7% entre os machos, 39,4% entre as fêmeas após dezoito meses e 67,4% entre os juvenis, após oito meses de observação. Os machos e as fêmeas realizaram três mudas durante o experimento, enquanto os juvenis realizaram até duas mudas. As mudas ocorreram entre agosto e abril, mostrando maior freqüência durante a primavera e o verão. O incremento na largura da carapaça diminuiu com o tamanho do indivíduo, com média de 2,21 ± 1,39% para os machos, 1,28 ± 0,84% para as fêmeas e 2,89 ± 2,13% para os juvenis. A relação entre o incremento percentual e a largura da carapaça pode ser expresso pela equação IM = -0.0707LC + 4.645 (r²= 0.40. O período de intermuda foi de 191 ± 140 dias entre os machos, 216 ± 76,2 dias entre as fêmeas e 54 ± 1,41 dia entre os juvenis. O incremento de muda foi estatisticamente significativo (pIn crustaceans, size increase occurs only immediately after molting when the animal is in the soft-shelled condition. The growth of Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763 was observed in laboratory, through its occurrence of molt, percentual increment of size and intermolt period. The study was realized from October/2000 to March/2002 and a total of 91 crabs (15 males, 33 females and 43 juveniles were sampled in Itacuruçá - Coroa Grande mangrove, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The animals were maintained in two types of containers: adult crabs were kept in containers of 1000 l capacity, during eighteen months; while the juveniles were kept in plastic containers of 20 l capacity during eight months. The crabs were maintained in flowing seawater and fed on frozen leaves of Rhizophora mangle (L. (Rhizophoraceae and Laguncularia racemosa (Gaertn. (Combretaceae, twice a week. The carapace width ranged from 50.1 to 70.0 mm in males, 40.2 to 80.0 mm to females and 1.1 to 40.1 mm to juveniles. The survival rate of the specimens studied was of 46.7% for males, 39.4% for females after eighteen months and 67.4% for juveniles after eight months. The males and females molted up to three times during the experiment, while the juveniles molted up twice. Molts occurred between August and April, showing more frequency during spring and summer. The increment of carapace width decreased with size, with mean was 2.21 ± 1.39% for males, 1.28 ± 0.84% for females and 2.89 ± 2.13% for juveniles. The relationship between the percentual increment and the carapace width can be expressed by the equation IM = -0.0707LC + 4.645 (r²= 0.40. The intermolt period was 191 ± 140 days for males, 216 ± 76.2 days for females and 54 ± 1.41 days for juveniles. The percentual increment of size was statistically significant (p<0,05 when compared males and females, and adults and juveniles.

Width-weight relationship and condition factor of Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Decapoda, Ucididae at tropical mangroves of Northeast Brazil

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Marina S.L.C. Araújo

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The present contribution aims at evaluating the carapace width vs. humid weight relationship and the condition factor of Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763, in the mangrove forests of the Ariquindá and Mamucabas rivers, state of Pernambuco, Brazil. These two close areas present similar characteristics of vegetation and substrate, but exhibit different degrees of environmental conservation: the Ariquindá River is the preserved area, considered one of the last non-polluted of Pernambuco, while the Mamucabas River suffers impacts from damming, deforestation and deposition of waste. A total of 1,298 individuals of U. cordatus were collected. Males were larger and heavier than females, what is commonly observed in Brachyura. Ucides cordatus showed allometric negative growth (p < 0.05, which is probably related to the dilatation that this species develops in the lateral of the carapace, which stores six pairs of gills. The values of b were within the limit established for aquatic organisms. Despite of the condition factor being considered an important feature to confirm the reproductive period, since it varies with cyclic activities, in the present study it was not correlated to the abundance of ovigerous females. However, it was considered a good parameter to evaluate environmental impacts, being significantly lower at the impacted area.

Female reproductive cycle of the Southwestern Atlantic estuarine crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Brachyura, Grapsoidea, Varunidae

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Romina B. Ituarte

2004-03-01

Full Text Available The female reproductive biology of a Chasmagnathus granulatus population inhabiting the area near the mouth of Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina, was studied. An increase in air temperature during the spring is related to the start of the breeding period, when well defined egg-laying and hatching pulses were observed. Hatching is synchronic during the whole summer but the egg production was not, probably due to the gradual incorporation of young females to the reproductive population. Neither egg-laying nor larval release showed a clear relation to moon phase or tidal cycles, suggesting that reproduction is not rigidly programmed in this unpredictable habitat. Females moult at the beginning of autumn, after releasing the last larvae. However, a new cohort of ovocytes, which was in primary vitellogenesis before moulting, completed the secondary ovogenesis after moulting. Consequently, ovaries remained fully developed throughout the winter.

First Records of Two Species of Crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura Collected from Southern Korea

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Hyun Sook Ko

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Two species of crabs, Homola orientalis Henderson, 1888 and Pseudomicippe nipponica (Sakai, 1938, are described and illustrated for the first time in Korea. Homola orientalis was collected at 30 m depth by trap from Busan, and P. nipponica was collected on the intertidal region in Seongsanpo, Jejudo Island. Homola orientalis is the first species of its family in the region. The family Homoldae is characterized by a linea homolica on the carapace and they carry camouflage in the form of sponges or cnidarians with subchelate of the fourth ambulatory legs. The Korean brachyuran fauna now comprises 223 species including the new records from this study.

Mesozooplâncton do sistema estuarino de Barra das Jangadas, Pernambuco, Brasil Mesozooplankton of the estuarine system of Barra das Jangadas, Pernambuco, Brazil

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Eliane A. H. Cavalcanti

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Estudos sobre o mesozooplâncton foram realizados no sistema estuarino de Barra das Jangadas, Pernambuco, Brasil (8º14'36"S, 34º56'28"W visando analisar a estrutura da comunidade. As amostras foram obtidas com rede de plâncton, com malha de 300 µm, durante os períodos, seco (janeiro/2001 e chuvoso (julho/2001, nas marés de sizígia e de quadratura, em intervalos de três horas. Foram identificados 37 taxa, destacando-se Copepoda com as espécies Pseudodiaptomus acutus (F. Dahl, 1894, Pseudodiaptomus richardi (F. Dahl, 1894, Acartia lilljeborgi (Giesbrecht, 1892, Parvocalanus crassirostris (Dahl, 1894, Oithona hebes (Santos, 1973 e Notodiaptomus cearensis Wright, 1936. A densidade total durante o período seco variou de 69,34 a 8.568,34 org.m-3. Para o período chuvoso variou de 261,98 a 10.224,83 org.m-3. Os Crustacea meroplanctônicos (Brachyura zoea foram muito freqüentes e muito abundantes, destacando seu importante papel na cadeia trófica pelágica. A diversidade específica durante o período seco, variou de 0,44 a 3,13 bits.ind-1, e para o período chuvoso de 0,66 a 2,93 bits.ind-1. Os baixos valores de diversidade ocorreram devido à dominância de Brachyura (zoea. A análise de agrupamento revelou a formação de dois grupos. O primeiro formado por espécies marinhas e euri-halinas, e o segundo por espécies indicadoras de ambientes estuarinos.Mesozooplankton studies were carried out at the Barra das Jangadas estuarine system, Pernambuco, Brazil (8º14'36"S, 34º56'28"W, to assess its community structure. Samples were collected with a plankton net (300 µm mesh size during the dry (January, 2001 and rainy (July, 2001 seasons, with three hour intervals between each sampling, both in spring and neap tides. Thirty seven mesozooplankton taxa were identified, from which Copepoda were particularly abundant, including the species Pseudodiaptomus acutus (F. Dahl, 1894, Peudodiaptomus richardi (F. Dahl, 1894, Acartia lilljeborgi

Fertilidade do caranguejo de mangue Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ocypodidae, em Iguape (São Paulo, Brasil Fertility of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ocypodidae, at Iguape (São Paulo, Brazil

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Gustavo Yomar Hattori

2003-06-01

Full Text Available A total of 58 Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763 ovigerous females in final embryonic stage were collected in mangrove forest at Iguape (São Paulo. Each female were kept in laboratory until the larvae hatching and had their carapace width (CW measured with caliper (0.05 mm and the larval number (LN calculated by volumetric method. The hatching rates (HR were calculated for each animal's size class (5 mm. The values of LN and CW obtained were subjected to regression analyses and the best fitting model was chosen by comparing the obtained determination coefficients (R². The fertility varied from 71,200 to 220,800 larvae (147,169 ± 32,070 larvae, corresponding to 41.7 to 76.8 mm CW (63.7±7.9 mm, respectively. The relationship LNxCW was expressed by the equation LN = 284.1CW1.5º¹ (N = 58; R² = 0.74; p < 0.01, that showed a positive correlation between the variables. Most part of ovigerous females (89.7% showed their hatching during the nightly period. A negative correlation between HR and CW was observed in these animals (p < 0.05, probably due to reduction of spermatophores in the seminal receptacle (multiparous females or due to senility in the females with large size. The biological studies of U. cordatus are very important for practices adoption that preserve and make the rational use of this recourse in Brazilian's mangrove forests.

The influence of Brachyura on oil polluted subtropical intertidal shores - an example from the Arabian Gulf; Die Bedeutung von Krabben (Brachyura) bei der Regeneration von kohlenwasserstoffkontaminierten subtropischen Flachkuesten am Beispiel des Arabisch Persischen Golfs

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Barth, H.J. [Geographisches Inst., Univ. Heidelberg (Germany)

2006-11-15

Objectives. The second Gulf War (1991) led to the largest oil spill in human history. Over 770 km of coastline from southern Kuwait to Abu Ali Island (Saudi Arabia) were smothered with oil and tar, erasing most of the local plant and animal communities. This long term study was designed to reveal the processes of natural regeneration within the salt marsh ecosystems as well as the processes counter productive to regeneration. Methods. Field data were collected along permanent transect lines during annual visits from 1994 to 2004. Soil analysis included grain size, carbonate, pH and total hydrocarbon (Soxhlet extraction). Heavy metals were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy. Hydrocarbons were analysed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Results. The dominant processes of regeneration are characterized by four types of indicators. These are (1) the composition of hydrocarbon compounds remaining in the soil, (2) the hardness of the soil surface, (3) the abundance of laminated cyanobacterial mats, and (4) the abundance and diversity of macrofauna. Cyanobacteria turned out to conserve the oil within the soil where they built laminated mats sealing the surface and thus, preventing oxygen from penetrating the substrate. On the other hand, crustaceans were the first macrofauna returning to contaminated soils. Following bioturbation by the crustaceans significantly accelerates the biodegradation of the hydrocarbons. Since the occurrence of the crabs (mainly Cleistotoma dotilliforme) is primarily restricted to tidal channels the density of the channel network between the affected salt marshes determines the time which is needed for regeneration. (orig.)

Can contrasting environmental conditions of mangroves induce morphological variability in Aratus pisonii (Crustacea: Brachyura: Sesarmidae?

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Beatriz López-Sánchez

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Aratus pisonii is one of the most common crab species in Neotropical mangroves. It shows great plasticity in its life history traits, which makes it an interesting subject for comparative studies. This study evaluated the morphometric variability in five populations of A. pisonii inhabiting mangroves with different degrees of structural development under contrasting environmental conditions. Mangrove forests located on the northwest coast of Venezuela were studied during the rainy season in 2006. The results showed morphometric differences and interaction between sampling sites and sex (PERMANOVA, P=0.0001, as well as the presence of five morphological groups in males and four in females. The findings support the existence of sexual dimorphism. Females from the dwarf hypersaline mangrove showed a wide variability associated with the chelipeds. The differences in crab morphology between sites seem to be related to a combination of environmental factors that is unique for each habitat, leading to the formation of different morphological groups, in which the mangrove structural development (resource availability and salinity (which compromises the energy budget play an important role. The presence of more robust chelipeds in females from the dwarf hypersaline mangrove seems to reflect an adaptation to the biomechanical properties of the leaves (sclerophylly.

Cangrejos braquiuros (Brachyura de la bahía de Maruata, Michoacán, México

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María del Socorro García-Madrigal

2000-03-01

Full Text Available Se hicieron 11 muestreos mensuales, de abril de 1990 a marzo de 1991. Las recolectas se hicieron en forma manual en todos los ambientes: fango, arena, vegetación, laguna, río y en la zona intermareal, hasta una profundidad máxima de seis metros. Se obtuvieron 287 ejemplares de braquiuros agrupados en 14 familias, 34 géneros y 42 especies. Las especies analizadas son nuevos registros geográficos para las costas de Michoacán, además de dos ampliaciones de ámbito: una, Micropanope cristimanus hacia el sur desde Manzanillo, Colima; la otra, Glyptograpsus impressus, hacia el norte desde Acapulco, Guerrero. Se proporciona una nueva localidad intermedia para tres especies con distribución disyunta, Eupleurodon peruvianus, Epialtus sulcirostris y Mithrax spinipes. Las familias con mayor número de especies son la Mithracidae (7 y Grapsidae (6. Las especies fueron agrupadas en cuatro grupos biogeográficos: Indopacífico (4.76%, Anfiamericano (9.52%, Pacífico este tropical (78.57% y Pacífico mexicano (7.14%.A total of 287 specimen of brachyuran crabs were collected in 1990-1991. The specimens belong to 42 species, 34 genera and 14 families. All species represent new records for the coast of Michoacan and include two range extensions: Micropanope cristimanus from Manzanillo to Maruata, and Glyptograpsus impressus from Acapulco to Maruata. The presence of Eupleurodon peruvianus, Epialtus sulcirostris and Mithrax spinipes represents a gap in their distribution. The families with haighest numbers of species were the Mithracidae (7 and Grapsidae (6. The species were sorted out in four groups acording to their zoogeographic affinity: Indopacific (4.76%, Amphiamerican (9.52%, Eastern Pacific (78.57% and Mexican Pacific (7.14%.

Reproductive investment and multiple spawning evidence in the redfinger rubble crab Eriphia gonagra (Brachyura, Eriphioidea

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Gustavo M. Teixeira

Full Text Available Abstract The variation in reproductive investment (RI and the hypothesis of multiple spawning were evaluated in the redfinger rubble crab Eriphia gonagra (Fabricius, 1781. The gonads and embryos showed synchronous development, and fecundity and RI varied widely among females of the same size class. The mean RI value recorded was 11.31%, with no significant differences among the means for different size classes. The allometric analysis of fecundity indicated RI decrease while body size increase, but we suggested that this occurs due to size overestimation where the largest width of carapace was used as body size reference in these analyzes. In addition, we found an isometric relationship for “female weight vs. egg number”, and also for “female weight vs. egg weight”, indicating that RI increased proportionally with size of females. Relatively high frequencies both of smaller females with rudimentary gonads, and of larger females with developed gonads were observed. This indicates that larger females take place more frequently in the population reproductive output over time. This difference could not be observed by means of RI analyses of captured and fixed crabs, for which only one stage of gonad development and/or one spawning is usually recorded.

Sexual maturity of the deep-sea red crab Chaceon notialis Manning & Holthuis, 1989 (Brachyura: Geryonidae in southern Brazil Madurez sexual del cangrejo rojo de profundidad Chaceon notialis Manning & Holthuis, 1989 (Brachyura: Geryonidae al sur de Brasil

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Rodrigo Sant'Ana

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The red crab Chaceon notialis is one of the three deep-sea crab species currently exploited in Brazil. The red crab fishery started in 1998 with foreign vessels that, as of 2000, have been extensively moni-tored by observers and tracked by satellite. A management plan implemented in 2005 was based only on bio-mass dynamics, as biological knowledge of the resource was limited at that date. Samples taken aboard were used to determine size at first sexual maturity for males and females by studying the allometric growth of the chelae and abdomen in relation to the carapace width (CW, the proportion of females with opened vulvae and eggs in the pleopods, and males showing copula marks on the first ambulatory legs. Morphometric maturity was attained, on average, at 8.9 cm CW (males and 8.8 cm CW (females. The CW5% was estimated to be 6.9 and 9.7 cm CW for females, considering the vulva condition and eggs in the pleopods, respectively, and 8.4 cm CW for males. The maximum estimated proportions of ovigerous females and males with copula marks by size class were 0.8 and 0.7, respectively, suggesting an annual reproductive cycle for the species, both at the populational and individuals levels. The size composition analysis showed that up to 97% of the females caught in the fishery were immature. Given these results, enhancing trap selectivity and minimizing the mortality of ovigerous females should be considered as new and immediate goals for the management of the resource.El cangrejo-rojo Chaceon notialis corresponde a una de las tres especies de cangrejos de profundidad que actualmente se explotan en Brasil. La pesca de cangrejo-rojo comenzó en el año 1998 por barcos extranjeros que, desde 2000 fueron intensamente vigilados por observadores y rastreados por satélites. En el año de 2005 se implemento un plan de manejo, considerando solamente el estudio de la dinámica de la biomasa del recurso, ya que el conocimiento biológico todavía era limitado. A partir de muestras obtenidas a bordo de los barcos de pesca, se estimó la talla de primera madurez de machos y hembras mediante la utilización del crecimiento alométrico de la quela y el abdomen, con respecto al ancho del caparazón (CW, proporción de hembras con vulvas abiertas y huevos en los pleópodos y machos con marcas de cópula en las primeras patas ambulatorias. La madurez morfométrica para los machos fue obtenida en promedio a 8,9 cm de CW y para las hembras a 8,8 cm de CW. El CW50./d fue estimado en 8,4 cm para machos y para hembras, tomando en cuenta la condición de la vulva o los huevos en los pleópodos, en 6,9 y 9,7 cm respectivamente. Las maximas proporciones estimadas de hembras ovígeras y machos con marcas de cópula por talla fueron de 0,8 y 0,7 respectivamente, lo que sugiere que el ciclo reproductivo a nivel poblacional e individual es anual. El análisis de la composición de tallas indicó que el 97% de las hembras capturadas, eran inmaduras. A partir de estos resultados se consideró un aumento en la selectividad de las trampas y la disminución de las hembras ovígeras en las capturas como objetivos nuevos e inmediatos para el mejor manejo de este recurso.

Occurrence of the family Pinnotheridae De Haan (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura on the coast of Ceará State, Brazil Ocorrência da família Pinnotheridae De Haan (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura no litoral do Ceará, Brasil

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Luis Ernesto A. Bezerra

2006-12-01

Full Text Available This study reports the occurrence of Austinixa bragantina Coelho, 2005; A. leptodactyla (Coelho, 1997 and Zaops ostreum (Say, 1817 for the State of Ceará, Northeast Brazil. These records represent the first account of the family Pinnotheridae de Haan, 1883 for the coast of Ceará. A. bragantina was collected on May and June 1995 at Futuro Beach, municipality of Fortaleza (3°42'S, 38°27'W. This species was previously known only for the type locality, Canela Island, Bragança, Pará, Brazil. A. leptodactyla was collected on November 2004 at Baleia Beach, municipality of Itapipoca (3°08'S, 39°27'W and Z. ostreum was obtained from the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae Guilding, 1828, collected on November 2005 at the Jaguaribe River estuary, municipality of Fortim (4°24'S, 37°46'W. Biogeographic considerations regarding the three species and an updated list of all known Brazilian pinnotherid species along with their_geographic distribution are also provided.Este trabalho reporta a ocorrência de Austinixa bragantina Coelho, 2005; A. leptodactyla (Coelho, 1997 e Zaops ostreum (Say, 1817 para o litoral do Estado do Ceará, sendo estes os primeiros registros de representantes da família Pinnotheridae De Haan, 1883 para a costa cearense. A. bragantina foi coletada em maio e junho de 1995, na praia do Futuro, município de Fortaleza (3°42'S, 38°27'W. Esta espécie era conhecida, até o momento, apenas de sua localidade tipo, Ilha Canela, município de Bragança, Pará. A. leptodactyla foi coletada em novembro de 2004, na praia da Baleia, município de Itapipoca (3°08'S, 39°27'W e Z. ostreum foi obtido a partir do exame de ostras da espécie Crassostrea rhizophorae Guilding, 1828, coletadas em novembro de 2005 no estuário do Rio Jaguaribe, município de Fortim (4°24'S, 37°46'W. São apresentadas considerações biogeográficas sobre as três espécies assim como uma lista atualizada de todos os pinoterídeos do litoral brasileiro e sua distribuição geográfica.

Aspectos reprodutivos de Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille (Crustacea, Brachyura, Grapsidae na Baía de Sepetiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Reproductive aspects of Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille (Crustacea, Brachyura, Grapsidae at the Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Zilanda de Souza Silva

2002-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to get some knowledge about the reproductive aspects of Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803, concerning through sex ratio, morphological sexual maturity, reproductive period, fecundity and eggs size. The crabs were collected monthly in Itacuruçá's Mangroves from November, 1997 to November, 1998. Four hundred and seven crabs were caught and they were 47% males, 36% females and 17% ovigerous females. The sex ratio was 1:1.13 (male:female (X²= 1.54, p > 0.05. The relation of abdomen width (AW and carapace width (CW in females showed a positive allometric grow (b = 1.36, it suggests the size onset of maturity occur from 26.0 a 29.0 mm (CW in females. The ovigerous females occured during all the research period, except for the winter months (June to August. The size of these ovigerous females varied from 26.0 to 48.8 mm with mean size 35.1 + 5.2 mm. Individual fecundity varied from 29,975 to 142,050 eggs and mean fecundity was 74,751 ± 27 eggs. The mean diameter of the eggs was 300 ± 20 µm.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Somanniathelphusa boyangensis and phylogenetic analysis of Genus Somanniathelphusa (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parathelphusidae.

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Xin-Nan Jia

Full Text Available In this study, the authors first obtained the mitochondrial genome of Somanniathelphusa boyangensis. The results showed that the mitochondrial genome is 17,032bp in length, included 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs genes, 22 tRNAs genes and 1 putative control region, and it has the characteristics of the metazoan mitochondrial genome A+T bias. All tRNA genes display the typical clover-leaf secondary structure except tRNASer(AGN, which has lost the dihydroxyuridine arm. The GenBank database contains the mitochondrial genomes of representatives of approximately 22 families of Brachyura, comprising 56 species, including 4 species of freshwater crab. The authors established the phylogenetic relationships using the maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogenetic relationship indicated that the molecular taxonomy of S. boyangensis is consistent with current morphological classification, and Parathelphusidae and Potamidae are derived within the freshwater clade or as part of it. In addition, the authors used the COX1 sequence of Somanniathelphusa in GenBank and the COX1 sequence of S. boyangensis to estimated the divergence time of this genus. The result displayed that the divergence time of Somanniathelphusa qiongshanensis is consistent with the separation of Hainan Island from mainland China in the Beibu Gulf, and the divergence time for Somanniathelphusa taiwanensis and Somanniathelphusa amoyensis is consistent with the separation of Taiwan Province from Mainland China at Fujian Province. These data indicate that geologic events influenced speciation of the genus Somanniathelphusa.

New record of Clypeasterophilus stebbingi (Rathbun, 1918 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pinnotheridae from the east coast of Nicaragua

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Michel E. Hendrickx

Full Text Available The pinnotherid crab Clypeasterophilus stebbingi (Rathbun, 1918, previously known from Florida, USA, Colombia and Brazil, is reported for the first time from Central America, on the east coast of Nicaragua. A single female specimen was collected on the sand dollar Clypeaster subdepressus (Gray, 1825, at 4 m depth, among turtle grass on sandy bottom. The specimen fits well with the description provided by M.J. Rathbun and observations made on photographs of the male holotype. Comparison of the material described from Florida (including the type material, Colombia and Brazil to the Nicaragua specimen, however, indicates that C. stebbingi shows some variation in the shape of the third maxilliped.

Genetic and Morphological Differentiation of the Semiterrestrial Crab Armases angustipes (Brachyura: Sesarmidae) along the Brazilian Coast.

Science.gov (United States)

Marochi, Murilo Zanetti; Masunari, Setuko; Schubart, Christoph D

2017-02-01

The genetic and morphometric population structures of the semiterrestrial crab Armases angustipes from along the Brazilian coast were examined. The influence of the Central South Equatorial Current on larval dispersal of A. angustipes also was evaluated. Six populations were sampled from estuarine areas in São Luis do Maranhão, Maranhão; Natal, Rio Grande do Norte; Maceió, Alagoas; Ilhéus, Bahia; Aracruz, Espírito Santo; and Guaratuba, Paraná. Patterns of genetic differentiation were assessed using DNA sequence data corresponding to parts of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1. Geometric morphometric techniques were used to evaluate morphological variation in shape and size of the carapace and right cheliped propodus. Our results revealed low genetic variability and lack of phylogeographic structure; geometric morphometrics showed statistically significant morphological differentiation and geographic structuring. Our data indicate the absence of possible barriers to gene flow for this mobile species, and no clear correlation of morphological or genetic variation with ocean currents and/or geographic distance. Our results also suggest that historical geological and climatological events and/or possible bottleneck effects influenced the current low genetic variability among the populations of A. angustipes.

Tallas y fecundidad de Juxtafabia muliniarum (Brachyura: Pinnotheridae asociado con Saccostrea palmula (Bivalvia: Ostreidae, Costa Rica

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Jorge Cabrera Peña

2001-12-01

Full Text Available Se determinaron las tallas, frecuencia de infección y fecundidad de Juxtafabia muliniarum de la cavidad paleal de Saccostrea palmula de mayo de 1998 a mayo de 1999, la frecuencia de infestación fue de un 18.52 % en una muestra de 540 ostras. De los 136 cangrejos, el 36 % fueron parejas, el 60 % hembras solas y el 4 % machos solos. El promedio de la longitud del caparazón fue de 5.6 + 0.74 mm (ámbito entre 4.0 y 7.6 mm para hembras y 2.71 + 0.60 mm (ámbito entre 1.6 y 4.0 mm para machos. El peso promedio fue de 0.180 + 0.084 g (ámbito entre 0.06 y 0.4 g para hembras y 0.011 + 0.003 g (ámbito entre 0.01 y 0.02 g para machos. La fecundidad de J. muliniarum se rigió por la ecuación F = 3904.6 Ln (Lc -4651.1. En todos los meses se encontraron hembras ovígeras. La relación longitud del caparazón-peso total para machos y hembras se rigió porla ecuación Pt = 6 X 10-4 Lc3.2122. La proporción sexual fue de 1.0 macho: 2.04 hembras. Se registra a S. palmula como huésped de J. muliniarumSize and fecundity observations of pea crab (Juxtafabia muliniarum from the paleal cavity of!he oyster Saccostrea palmula were made from May 1998 to May 1999. Infestation frequency was 18.52 % in a sample of 540 oysters. Of 136 pea crabs, 36 % were couples, 60 % were single females and 4 % were single males. The mean caparace length of J. muliniarum was 5.6 + 0.74 mm (range 4.0 to 7.6 mm for females and 2.7 + 0.60 mm (range 1.6 to 4.0 mm for males. The mean weight was 0.180 + 0.084 g (range 0.06 to 0.4g for females and 0.011 + 0.003 g (range 0.01 to 0.02 g for males. Ovigerous females (43.75 % of all females were found in all months. The caparace length - fecundity relationship was F = 3904.6 Ln (Lc -4651.1. The caparace length-weight relationship was P = 6 X 10-4 Lc3.2122. The mean sex-ratio was 1.0 male: 2.4 females. Saccostrea palmula infected only by females was the dominant group (60.78 %. This mollusk is a new host record for the crab

Population structure of the burrowing crab Neohelice granulata (Brachyura, Varunidae in a southwestern Atlantic salt marsh

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Sabrina Angeletti

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Neohelice granulata inhabits estuarine and protected coastal areas in temperate regions and is the most dominant decapod crustacean in the Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina. The population structure was studied during a year in a SW Atlantic salt marsh located in the Bahía Blanca Estuary. Crabs were sampled monthly from August 2010 to July 2011. The maximum observed density was 30 crabs m-2 in February and 70 burrows m-2 in May. The maximum carapace width (CW was 32 and 27.5 mm in males and females respectively. Medium size crabs were between 16 and 20 mm CW. Significantly smaller sized crabs were observed at the lower intertidal regions (P < 0.05. The sex ratio was favorable for males and was significantly different from the expected 1:1 (P < 0.05. The recruitment of unsexed juveniles crabs (CW <6.5 mm was observed throughout the year and the presence of ovigerous females from October to February indicated seasonal reproduction. The average size of ovigerous females was CW = 20.8 mm and the smallest ovigerous female measured was 16 mm CW. For the first time, the population structure of the most important macro-invertebrate is analyzed in the Bahía Blanca Estuary. This study may help to make decisions in the area, where anthropic action is progressing day by day.

Abundancia y tallas de Menippe mercenaria (Crustacea: Brachyura, en refugios artificiales en Quintana Roo, México

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Adrián Cervantes-Martínez

2001-12-01

Full Text Available En Florida y Cuba el cangrejo moro Menippe mercenaria (Say, 1818 se encuentra sometido a fuertes presiones de pesca; sin embargo en el Caribe Mexicano se considera como un recurso subexplotado. Debido a que existen pocas evaluaciones del cangrejo como un recurso alternativo en la región, se emplearon hábitats artificiales ("condominios cubanos", considerando tres temporadas de muestreo y cuatro sectores con el propósito de conocer la abundancia relativa, estructura de tallas, relación entre la longitud de quela-ancho del carapacho y aspectos poblacionales de estos organismos en la Bahía de la Ascensión, Quintana Roo, México. La abundancia varió de acuerdo a la estación y temporada de muestreo: el sector sur de la bahía y la temporada de nortes (enero a marzo presentaron la mayor abundancia relativa. La amplitud del carapacho fue directamente proporcional a la longitud de la quela (r² = 0.83, 0.97 y 0.89, pIn Florida and Cuba the stone crab Menippe mercenaria (Say, 1818 is under strong fishing-pressure; nevertheless in the Mexican Caribbean it is considered as sub-utilized and poorly known resource. Artificial shelters ("condominios cubanos" were used to study relative abundance, age structure, claw length-carapace amplitude relation, and population in three seasons and four sectors at Bahia Ascension, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The abundance varied according to the sector and sampling season: population was higher in the south and during the north wind ("Nortes" season (January to March. The carapace amplitude was directly proportional to claw length (r² = 0.83, 0.97 and 0.89; p< 0.05 in females, males and total, respectively. The results sugest that specimens with 37.5 and 67.5 mm of carapace amplitude are the most limited regarding refuge availability in the Bay

A new species of land crab, Sesarma Say, 1817 (Decapoda, Brachyura), from the Pleistocene of Jamaica

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Collins, J.S.H.; Mitchell, S.F.; Donovan, S.K.

2009-01-01

Terrestrial arthropods are poorly known from the Cenozoic of Jamaica. A probably Late Pleistocene land crab, Sesarma primigenium sp. nov., is described from the Western Cement Company Cave, parish of St. Elizabeth, southwestern Jamaica. The same species is also tentatively recognised from the Late

Siamthelphusa holthuisi spec. nov., a new species of gecarcinucoid freshwater crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) from Thailand

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Naiyanetr, P.; Ng, P.K.L.

1990-01-01

A new species of freshwater crab, Siamthelphusa holthuisi spec. nov., is described from eastern Thailand. This species is closely allied to Siamthelphusa improvisa (Lanchester, 1901) from southern Thailand and northern Malaysia, but can be easily separated by its different male first pleopod

[Abundance and body size of Menippe mercenaria (Crustacea: Brachyura), in artificial refuges in Quintana Roo, Mexico].

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Cervantes-Martínez, A; Ramírez-González, A

2001-01-01

In Florida and Cuba the stone crab Menippe mercenaria (Say, 1818) is under strong fishing-pressure; nevertheless in the Mexican Caribbean it is considered as sub-utilized and poorly known resource. Artificial shelters ("condominios cubanos") were used to study relative abundance, age structure, claw length-carapace amplitude relation, and population in three seasons and four sectors at Bahía Ascension, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The abundance varied according to the sector and sampling season: population was higher in the south and during the north wind ("Nortes") season (January to March). The carapace amplitude was directly proportional to claw length (r2 = 0.83, 0.97 and 0.89; p < 0.05 in females, males and total, respectively). The results suggest that specimens with 37.5 and 67.5 mm of carapace amplitude are the most limited regarding refuge availability in the Bay.

Condition factor of Goniopsis cruentata (Crustacea, Brachyura, Grapsidae from Mundaú/Manguaba estuarine complex, Alagoas, Brazil

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José J. P. R. Lira

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The condition factor is a parameter which acts as a general indicator of the "well-being" of a species, and it can be obtained through the analysis of width vs. weight relationships. The present work aims to investigate size vs. weight relationship and the condition factor of the crab Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803. The study area was the Mundaú/Manguaba estuarine complex, Maceió, state of Alagoas, Northeast Brazil. Samplings were monthly accomplished from August 2007 to July 2008. A total of 626 individuals were analyzed, being 309 males and 317 females. Males were larger and heavier than females, what is expected in many brachyuran. The growth was positive allometric to both males (b = 3.42 and females (b = 3.30, not obeying the "cube law". The condition factor of female was higher than that of male crabs, probably due to the gonad weight of females. It also varied seasonally for both sexes, being higher in the autumn and winter in males, and in the autumn and spring in females, and related to the molt and period of spawning intensification.

A new species of Trichopeltarion A. Milne-Edwards, 1880, from the Southwestern Atlantic (Crustacea: Brachyura: Atelecyclidae

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Marcos Tavares

2005-01-01

Full Text Available A new species of Trichopeltarion A. Milne-Edwards, 1880, is described from off coast of Brazil, namely Trichopeltarion pezzutoi n. sp. The new species is compared to its Atlantic congeners, Trichopeltarion nobile A. Milne-Edwards, 1880, and Trichopeltarion intesi (Crosnier, 1981. The record of T. nobile from Brazil should actually be attributed to T. pezzutoi n. sp. The differences between the genera Trichopeltarion and Peltarion Jacquinot, 1847 are discussed.Uma nova espécie do gênero Trichopeltarion A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 coligida no talude continental brasileiro é descrita e ilustrada, nomeadamente Trichopeltarion pezzutoi n. sp. A nova espécie é comparada às suas congêneres do oceano Atlântico, Trichopeltarion nobile A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 e Trichopeltarion intesi (Crosnier, 1981. O registro de T. nobile para o Brasil deve ser atribuído à T. pezzutoi n. sp. São discutidas as diferenças entre os gêneros Trichopeltarion e Peltarion Jacquinot, 1847.

Offspring production in three freshwater crab species (Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae from the Amazon region and Central America

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Ingo S. Wehrtmann

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Freshwater crabs are an important component of the fauna of limnic environments, and out of the two true freshwater crab families present in the Neotropics, Pseudothelphusidae is the most diverse. Considering the lack of information regarding reproductive features of neotropical freshwater crabs, we studied, for the first time, the fecundity and the presence of juveniles carried by females of two pseudothelphusids from the Amazon region - Kingsleya latifrons (Randall, 1840 and Kingsleya ytupora Magalhães, 1986 - and one from Central America - Potamocarcinus magnus (Rathbun, 1896. The two Kingsleya species produced relatively few (56-114 and large eggs (1.9-3.7 mm, typical for species with an abbreviated or direct development. Recently produced eggs were substantially larger in K. latifrons (mean 2.83 mm when compared to those of K. ytupora (mean 1.87 mm; however, at the end of the embryogenesis, mean egg diameter was similar in both species. Therefore, it is assumed that hatchlings in both species should have a similar size. A brief description of attached juveniles of K. ytupora is provided. The number of juveniles varied between 30 (K. ytupora and 179 (P. magnus; two size groups of juveniles were found, which indicates that the offspring cling to their mother for a prolonged period of time. There was no significant loss of eggs and juveniles; it is assumed that parental care diminishes the loss of their offspring. We compiled the available information of reproductive aspects from freshwater crabs: egg diameter was in the range of 2-3 mm, independent of female size and fecundity, and reported egg number varied between 9 and 417 eggs.

Prediction of Scylla olivacea (Crustacea; Brachyura) peptide hormones using publicly accessible transcriptome shotgun assembly (TSA) sequences.

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Christie, Andrew E

2016-05-01

The aquaculture of crabs from the genus Scylla is of increasing economic importance for many Southeast Asian countries. Expansion of Scylla farming has led to increased efforts to understand the physiology and behavior of these crabs, and as such, there are growing molecular resources for them. Here, publicly accessible Scylla olivacea transcriptomic data were mined for putative peptide-encoding transcripts; the proteins deduced from the identified sequences were then used to predict the structures of mature peptide hormones. Forty-nine pre/preprohormone-encoding transcripts were identified, allowing for the prediction of 187 distinct mature peptides. The identified peptides included isoforms of adipokinetic hormone-corazonin-like peptide, allatostatin A, allatostatin B, allatostatin C, bursicon β, CCHamide, corazonin, crustacean cardioactive peptide, crustacean hyperglycemic hormone/molt-inhibiting hormone, diuretic hormone 31, eclosion hormone, FMRFamide-like peptide, HIGSLYRamide, insulin-like peptide, intocin, leucokinin, myosuppressin, neuroparsin, neuropeptide F, orcokinin, pigment dispersing hormone, pyrokinin, red pigment concentrating hormone, RYamide, short neuropeptide F, SIFamide and tachykinin-related peptide, all well-known neuropeptide families. Surprisingly, the tissue used to generate the transcriptome mined here is reported to be testis. Whether or not the testis samples had neural contamination is unknown. However, if the peptides are truly produced by this reproductive organ, it could have far reaching consequences for the study of crustacean endocrinology, particularly in the area of reproductive control. Regardless, this peptidome is the largest thus far predicted for any brachyuran (true crab) species, and will serve as a foundation for future studies of peptidergic control in members of the commercially important genus Scylla. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Marine pollution effects on the southern surf crab Ovalipes trimaculatus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Polybiidae) in Patagonia Argentina.

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Lezcano, Aníbal Hernán; Rojas Quiroga, María Laura; Liberoff, Ana Laura; Van der Molen, Silvina

2015-02-28

We compared the carapace shape and thickness as well as the energy density of Ovalipes trimaculatus inhabiting areas comprising a gradient of marine pollution: high, moderate and undetected, in the Nuevo gulf (Patagonia Argentina). The carapace shape was evaluated by means of individual asymmetry scores (=fluctuating asymmetry) whereas the carapace thickness was assessed by measuring the carapace dry weight. The energy density was analyzed through its negative relationship with water content in muscle tissue. The individual asymmetry scores as well as the percentage of water content in muscle tissue were proportional to the marine pollution gradient, whereas the carapaces thickness did not differ among sampling sites. Our results are consistent with previous findings and demonstrate the direct effect of marine pollution on other taxa different from gastropods, cephalopods and polyplacophora and add to long-standing concerns about detrimental effects caused by marine pollution on the benthic community of the Nuevo gulf. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First zoeal stage of Macrocoeloma subparallelum (Stimpson, 1860 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Majoidea described from laboratory hatched material

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Jéssica Colavite

Full Text Available Abstract The morphology of the first zoeal stage of the decorator crab Macrocoeloma subparallelum (Stimpson, 1860 from Cuba is described and compared with the available descriptions for the genus. Among Macrocoeloma Miers, 1879 species, the first zoea of M. subparallelum can be differentiated only by the number of aesthetascs and setae of the antennule (4 and 2, respectively. Recently, Macrocoeloma has been placed as an incertae sedis genus in Majoidea, closely allied to other Epialtidae and Pisinae members. The distinct spine in the distal segment of the endopod of the first maxilliped in the zoeal stages of Macrocoeloma is similar to what we observe in other Epialtidae genera, a character that supports the recent phylogenetic findings.

First zoeal stage of Macrocoeloma subparallelum (Stimpson, 1860) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Majoidea) described from laboratory hatched material

OpenAIRE

Colavite,Jéssica; López,Regulo; Hernández,Jesús; Bolaños,Juan; Santana,William

2016-01-01

Abstract The morphology of the first zoeal stage of the decorator crab Macrocoeloma subparallelum (Stimpson, 1860) from Cuba is described and compared with the available descriptions for the genus. Among Macrocoeloma Miers, 1879 species, the first zoea of M. subparallelum can be differentiated only by the number of aesthetascs and setae of the antennule (4 and 2, respectively). Recently, Macrocoeloma has been placed as an incertae sedis genus in Majoidea, closely allied to other Epialtidae an...

Etisus evamuellerae, a new xanthid crab (Decapoda, Brachyura) from the Middle Miocene of Austria and Hungary

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Hyžný, M.; van Bakel, B.W.M.; Guinot, D.

2015-01-01

On the basis of several carapaces, a new species of xanthid crab, Etisus evamuellerae, is described from the Middle Miocene of the Vienna (Austria) and Great Hungarian basins. It differs from the coeval xanthids, Xantho moldavicus and Pilodius vulgaris, in having a distinctly protruding front and comparatively longer carapace. Contrary to those two species, the new one makes up for just a small percentage in the decapod crustacean assemblages studied. PMID:25983383

Sexual maturity of the deep-sea royal crab Chaceon ramosae Manning, Tavares & Albuquerque, 1989 (Brachyura: Geryonidae in southern Brazil Madurez sexual del cangrejo real Chaceon ramosae Manning, Tavares & Albuquerque, 1989 (Brachyura: Geryonidae en el sur de Brasil

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Paulo Ricardo Pezzuto

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The royal crab Chaceon ramosae is one of the three species of deep-sea crabs currently exploited in Brazil. The royal crab fishery started in 2001 with foreign vessels that were extensively monitored by observers and tracked by satellite. A management plan implemented in 2005 was based only on biomass dynamics, as biological knowledge of the resource was limited at that date. Samples taken aboard were used to determine size at first sexual maturity for males and females by studying the use of allometric growth of chelae and abdomen in relation to carapace width (CW, the proportion of females with opened vulvae and eggs in the pleopods, and males showing copula marks on the first ambulatory legs. Morphometric maturity was attained, on average, at 12.1 cm (males and 10.7 cm (females. The CW50% was estimated to be 10.9 cm and 12.2 cm for females, respectively considering the vulva condition and eggs in the pleopods, and 13.6 cm for males. By size class, the maximum estimated proportions of ovigerous females by size class was 0.4 and of males with copula marks was 0.6, suggesting a bi-annual reproductive cycle for individuals of the species. The size composition analysis showed that irnmature individuals may comprise up to 70% of the catches. These results indicate the need to consider enhanced trap selectivity and lower mortality of ovigerous females as new and immediate goals to improve resource management.El cangrejo real Chaceon ramosae corresponde a una de las tres especies de cangrejos de profundidad que actualmente se explotan en Brasil. La pesca de cangrejo real comenzó en el año 2001 por barcos extranjeros que eran intensamente supervisados por observadores y rastreados por satélites. En el año de 2005 se implemento un plan de manejo, considerando solamente el estudio de la dinámica de la biomasa del recurso, ya que el conocimiento biológico todavía era limitado. A partir de muestras obtenidas a bordo de los barcos de pesca, se estimó la talla de primera madurez de machos y hembras a través de la utilización del crecimiento alométrico de la quela y el abdomen con respecto al ancho del caparazón (CW, proporción de hembras con vulvas abiertas y huevos en los pleópodos, y machos con marcas de cópula en las primeras patas ambulatorias. La madurez morfométrica de los machos fue obtenida en promedio a 12,1 cm CW y en las hembras a 10,7 cm CW. El CW50% fue estimado en 13,6 cm en machos y, en hembras considerando la condición de la vulva o los huevos en los pleópodos, en 10,9 y 12,2 cm respectivamente. La máxima proporción estimada de hembras ovígeras y machos con marcas de cópula por talla fueron de 0,4 y 0,6 respectivamente, lo que sugiere que el ciclo reproductivo a nivel individual es bi-anual. El análisis de la composición de tallas evidenció que individuos inmaduros componen hasta el 70% de las capturas. A partir de estos resultados, se consideró incrementar el efecto selectivo de las trampas y disminuir la captura de hembras ovígeras, como objetivos nuevos e inmediatos para mejorar el manejo de este recurso.

Estrutura populacional de Uca maracoani (Decapoda, Brachyura, Ocypodidae no Baixio Mirim, Baía de Guaratuba, Paraná Population structure of Uca maracoani (Decapoda, Brachyura, Ocypodidae from the tidal flat of Baixio Mirim, Guaratuba Bay, Parana State, Brazil

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Mariângela Di Benedetto

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Um estudo sobre a flutuação anual da abundância, composição de tamanho dos indivíduos, proporção de sexos, período reprodutivo e de recrutamento dos juvenis de uma população de Uca maracoani (Latreille, 1802-1803 foi realizado no Baixio Mirim, Baía de Guaratuba, Paraná (48º36'W e 25º52'S. Os animais foram coletados mensalmente, de fevereiro/2005 a janeiro/2006, durante as marés baixas de sizígia, e a sua largura da carapaça (LC medida. A temperatura pontual do ar variou de 17 a 29ºC, a luminosidade de 8.740 a 151.300 lux, a salinidade de 8 a 25 e a temperatura do solo (superfície, 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm e 20 cm de profundidade de 18,3 a 28,9ºC. Foram analisados 7.120 indivíduos, dos quais, 2.578 juvenis sexualmente indefinidos, 2.377 machos e 2.165 fêmeas. A abundância da população variou de 341 (abril a 994 indivíduos (janeiro, mas a sua flutuação anual não esteve relacionada com a das variáveis abióticas estudadas. A proporção de sexos foi de 1:1 e a reprodução da espécie é do tipo contínuo, com dois picos de intensidade: um em abril e outro em novembro. O recrutamento de juvenis, também, é contínuo com dois períodos mais intensos no ano, um em julho e outro em dezembro-janeiro. A LC da população variou de 1,14 a 2,62 mm para juvenis sexualmente indefinidos, 2,58 a 17,83 mm para machos juvenis, 2,60 a 11,72 mm para fêmeas juvenis, 17,85 a 35,81 mm para machos maduros e 11,75 a 31,76 mm para fêmeas maduras. Os machos atingem tamanhos maiores do que as fêmeas.A study about the annual fluctuation of the abundance, size composition, sexual proportion, reproductive period and juvenile recruitment of the fiddler crab Uca maracoani (Latreille, 1802-1803 was carried out in a population living in a tidal flat at Guaratuba Bay, Parana State, Brazil (48º36'W e 25º52'S. Crabs were obtained from February 2005 to January 2006, during low spring tides, in monthly collections, and their carapace width was measured. Air temperature oscillated from 17 to 29ºC, luminosity from 8,740 to 151,300 lux, salinity from 8 to 25 and soil temperature (on surface, 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm and 20 cm depth from 18.3 to 28.9ºC. A total of 7,120 individuals were analyzed, among them, 2,578 were sexually indefinite juveniles, 2,377 males (1,113 juveniles and 1,264 mature males and 2,165 females (944 juveniles, 1,135 mature and 86 ovigerous females. Population abundance oscillated 341 (April to 994 individuals (January, but its annual fluctuation was not correlated to the oscillation of the abiotic variables. The sexual proportion was 1:1 and the reproduction of the species is continuous type, with two peaks of intensity in the year: one in April and another in November. Juvenile recruitment is also continuous with two periods of intensity in the year: in July and in December-January. Sexually indefinite juveniles measured from 1.14 to 2.62 mm carapace width, juvenile males from 2.58 to 17.83 mm, juvenile females from 2.60 to 11.72 mm, mature males from 17.85 to 35.81 mm and mature females from 11.75 to 31.76 mm. Males reach larger sizes than females.

Maturidade sexual do caranguejo Armases rubripes (Rathbun (Crustacea, Brachyura, Sesarmidae na Baía de Sepetiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Sexual maturity of the crab Armases rubripes (Rathbun (Crustacea, Brachyura, Sesarmidae in Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Giovana V. Lima

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Objetivou-se analisar a maturidade sexual de Armases rubripes (Rathbun, 1897 em três diferentes ambientes (rio, praia arenosa e manguezal no sudeste do Brasil. Os caranguejos foram coletados mensalmente de julho/2002 a fevereiro/2004, utilizando-se peneiras no Rio Sahy durante as marés altas e, manualmente, na praia e no manguezal, durante as marés baixas. Os animais foram capturados por dois coletores num esforço de 15 minutos por estação de coleta. No laboratório, os exemplares foram separados por sexo e mensurados em relação a largura da carapaça, do abdome e comprimento do gonopódio. As gônadas, gonopódios e o abdome foram analisados segundo sua forma e seu aspecto. Um total de 4.051 indivíduos foram amostrados (1.067 machos, 1.563 fêmeas e 1.421 juvenis. Foram determinados cinco morfotipos: juvenis, machos imaturos, fêmeas imaturas, machos maduros e fêmeas maduras. O início da maturidade sexual fisiológica e morfológica ocorreu de forma assíncrona, com machos produzindo gametas mais cedo que as fêmeas. O tamanho da primeira maturidade sexual apresentou diferença significativa entre os ambientes analisados, exceção observada para o manguezal. Os indivíduos obtidos no manguezal apresentaram menores tamanhos para o início da maturidade sexual. Embora, estimados os tamanhos da maturidade sexual morfológica de machos e fêmeas, a análise do crescimento alométrico foi inadequado para a espécie.The present study analyzed the sexual maturity of Armases rubripes (Rathbun, 1897 in three populations from different environmental conditions (river, beach and mangrove in the southeastern Brazilian coast. Crabs were sampled monthly from July 2002 to February 2004; they were captured with sieves at Sahy River, during the high tides, and by hand at beach and mangrove areas, during low tides. Animals were captured by establishing a catch effort of two collectors during 15 minutes for each station. At laboratory, all individuals were sexed and the carapace width measured. The gonads, gonopods and abdomen morphology were observed according to shape and macroscopic aspects. A total of 4,051 specimens were sampled (1,067males, 1,563 females and 1,421 juveniles. There were recognized five morphotypes: juveniles, immature males, immature females, mature males and mature females. The onset of physiological and morphological sexual maturity was asynchronous within sexes, of which, males reaching the ability to produce gametes earlier than females. The size at the onset of sexual maturity was significantly different among populations different coming from areas, except for mangrove area. The individuals obtained from mangrove showed the shortest size at the onset of sexual maturity. Therefore, estimates of males and females sizes at morphological sexual maturity the allometric growth analyses are inadequate in this species.

The ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of Paradynomene tuberculata Sakai, 1963 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Dynomenidae): Synapomorphies with dromiid sperm

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Jamieson, B. G. M.; Guinot, D.; de Forges, B. Richer

1993-10-01

The dynomenid spermatozoon, exemplified here by Paradynomene tuberculata, resembles the spermatozoa of the Dromiidae, Homolidae and lyreidine raninoids and differs markedly from those of other crabs (the heterotreme, thoracotremes, raninines and raninoidines) in the depressed, discoidal form of the acrosome and the capitate form of the perforatorium. Four or five apparent dynomenid—dromiid sperm synapomorphies are recognizable. (1) Dynomenids ( P. tuberculata) and dromiids differ from homolids and lyreidines in the greater depression of the acrosome (ratio of length to width=0.3); (2) the capitate head of the perforatorium is bilaterally prolonged in P. tuberculata as in dromiids though symmetrical in homolids; (3) dynomenid and dromiid sperm lack the—albeit variably developed—posterior median process of the nucleus seen in homolids, anomurans, raninoids and lower heterotremes; (4) P. tuberculata, like dromiids and less distinctly homolids, has an apical protuberance of subopercular material through the opercular perforation, unknown in other crabs, being distinct from the apical button of thoracotreme sperm; (5) a less certain synapomorphy is the anterolateral electron-pale peripheral zone of the acrosome. These synapomorphies endorse a sister-group relationship of dynomenids and dromiids, P. tuberculata sperm differs notably from the sperm of dromiids in the more complex zonation of the acrosome. The perforatorium lacks the radial rays (“spiked wheel”) of homolid sperm and does not show the “amoeboid” form seen in lyreidines. Absence of internal corrugations of the perforatorial chamber is a major difference from all examined raninids. Centrioles are only very tentatively identifiable. Nuclear arms are absent in glutaraldehyde fixed spermatozoa of P. tuberculata and have not been observed in the dromiid Petalomera lateralis but are present as three small radial vertices in the dromiid Dromidiopsis edwardsi and in homolids. P. tuberculata resembles Petalomera lateralis in the large size of the sperm nucleus relative to the acrosome compared with D. edwardsi and homolids.

A new species of Fizesereneia Takeda & Tamura, 1980 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Cryptochiridae) from the Red Sea and Oman

KAUST Repository

Van Der Meij, Sancia E T; Berumen, Michael L.; Paulay, Gustav

2015-01-01

A new species of cryptochirid crab, Fizesereneia panda van der Meij, is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from the scleractinian corals Lobophyllia cf. hemprichii and L. cf. corymbosa from the Farasan Banks, Farasan Islands, and the reefs off Thuwal in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea, and from Symphyllia recta from reefs in the Gulf of Oman. This is the second cryptochirid species with the Red Sea as type locality. It can be separated from its congeners by the subrectangular carapace, raised midline and the complete division of the carapace depressions, and reddish black colour pattern of these concavities in live specimens. This new species is the seventh assigned to Fizesereneia. A DNA barcode for the new species has been deposited in GenBank. Copyright © 2015 Magnolia Press.

First occurrence of a Hymenosomatid crab Elamena mathoei (Desmarest, 1823 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura in the Mediterranean Sea

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J. ZAOUALI

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Mediterranean fauna is undergoing drastic modifications as a result of anthropogenic activities and global warming. The most important of these is the colonization of the Mediterranean Sea by alien species, many of them entering through the Suez Canal. While many of them are still confined to the Levant Basin, several have extended their distribution westwards to Tunisian waters. The presence of the Indo-west Pacific hymenosomatid crab Elamena mathoei on a rocky shore at Sidi Daoud, Cape Bon Peninsula, Tunisia, is the first Mediterranean record of this species. It is a testimony to the changes in the patterns of invasion in the Mediterranean Sea.

Cangrejos braquiuros (Brachyura del arrecife de Cabo Pulmo-Los Frailes y alrededores, Golfo de California, México

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María del Socorro García-Madrigal

1999-06-01

Full Text Available El análisis de los fragmentos del coral Pocillopora elegans recolectados en siete campañas de muestreo durante 1988 y 1989 resultó en 281 ejemplares de braquiuros, identificándose 30 especies de ocho familias, de las cuales 22 especies son nuevos registros para el área. Había 39 especies de braquiuros registradas; ahora hay 61 especies de braquiuros, repartidas en 16 familias. Majidae contiene el mayor número de especies (23, seguida por Panopeidae (9 y Xanthidae (6. Las especies más abundantes fueron Trapezia ferruginea (71 ejemplares, Theleophrys cristulipes (39 y Microcassiope xantusii xantusii (29. Todas las especies se agruparon en cuatro grupos zoogeográficos: indopacífico (8.5%, anfiamericano (5.1%, Pacífico oriental (76.3% y endémico del Pacífico mexicano (10.1%. Las especies de braquiuros de este arrecife (con sólo 0.004% de la superficie de la región representan el 21% de todas las especies registradas para la región del golfo de California, costa occidental de Baja California Sur, áreas costeras de Nayarit y Sinaloa y zona económica exclusiva de estos estados.Fragments of the coral Pocillopora elegans collected in 1988 and 1989 produced 281 specimens of brachyurans. There were 30 species and subspecies in eight families, and 22 are new records for the Cabo Pulmo-Los Frailes reef. Including earlier records, there are now 61 species and subspecies (19 families from the area. Majidae had the largest number of species (23, followed by Panopeidae (9, and Xanthidae (6. Most abundant were Trapezia ferruginea (71 specimens, Theleophrys cristulipes (39 and Microcassiope xantusii xantusii (29. The species were sorted out in four zoogeographic groups: Indopacific (8.5%, Amphiamerican (5.1%, Eastern Pacific (76.3%, and Mexican Pacific endemics (10.1%. The reef represents only 0.004% of the Gulf area but harbors 21% of all species recorded from the gulf of California, western coast of Baja California Sur and exclusive economic zone of Nayarit and Sinaloa.

Functional morphology of comminuting feeding structures of Trichodactylus borellianus (Brachyura, Decapoda, Trichodactylidae), an omnivorous freshwater crab.

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Carvalho, Débora de Azevedo; Viozzi, Maria Florencia; Collins, Pablo Agustín; Williner, Verónica

2017-07-01

Crustaceans exhibit great diversity of feeding structures with morphological traits that are useful to infer the general trophic habits of species. In this study, we analyzed the functional morphology of comminuting feeding structures (mandibles, chelipeds, gastric mill) of the freshwater crab Trichodactylus borellianus directly related with the food fragmentation. The heterochely and mechanical advantage (MA) of the chelae were also studied. In both analyses, we considered the relationship between morphology and the natural diet. We expected to find a consistent relation between feeding habits and morphological traits. In general, we found simple structures armed with uniform setal systems and feeding appendages without pronounced teeth or spines. Mandibles have primarily cutting functions, helping with the food anchoring and fragmentation with mandibular palps armed with pappose setae. Chelipeds were covered with spines and simple setae. Adult males exhibited right-handedness with high MA of the major chelae. The ingested, relatively large pieces of food are finally chewed by a gastric mill equipped with sharp cusps characteristic of decapods with low ingestion of crude fiber material. The morphology of the feeding apparatus revealed that it is well adapted to an omnivorous diet, being able to cope with dietary changes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Zonal Distribution and Population Biology of Ilyoplax frater (Brachyura: Ocypodoidea: Dotillidae in a Coastal Mudflat of Pakistan

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Noor Us SAHER, Naureen Aziz QURESHI

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Zonal distribution and population biology of Ilyoplax frater were studied in a mangrove mudflat area of Pakistan. The crabs were collected from Korangi creek through transect and quadrat method from low tide level to high tide level. Two transects were delimited in a mangrove area of Korangi creek (24o79’N/ 67o20’E. On each transect, three 0.25 m quadrats were sampled at three tidal levels on a monthly basis during low tide periods from March 2001 to February 2002. A total of 1124 crabs were obtained, of which 482 were males and 642 were females. Density of crabs varied between 0 and 90 /m2. The density and size distribution varied and showed significant differences from low to high tide level, and were positively correlated with the percent moisture, percent organic matter and sediment grain size. The carapace width (CW ranged from 2.5 to 11.5 mm for male and 2.5 to 11.0 mm for female and was not significantly different. The overall sex ratio did not differ significantly from the expected 1:1 throughout the year in small crabs but was significantly different in adult crabs (c2 = 49.73 with more male crabs. Size frequency distribution showed recruitment of juvenile crabs (< 4 mm nearly throughout the year except during June and July. Presence of ovigerous females in all months with seasonal peaks in September, October, December and May indicates seasonal continuous breeding. Weight of egg mass increases with weight of ovigerous females and show positive linear relationship. The estimated mean diameter of egg was 2.83+ 0.25 mm, and the average number of eggs was 3065+ 902 [Current Zoology 56(2: 244–251, 2010].

A new species of Fizesereneia Takeda & Tamura, 1980 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Cryptochiridae) from the Red Sea and Oman

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meij, van der S.E.T.; Berumen, M.L.; Paulay, G.

2015-01-01

A new species of cryptochirid crab, Fizesereneia panda van der Meij, is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from the scleractinian corals Lobophyllia cf. hemprichii and L. cf. corymbosa from the Farasan Banks, Farasan Islands, and the reefs off Thuwal in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea,

Recurrence of a marine brachyuran crab, Parapanope euagora (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Galenidae from East Coast of India

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C. Viswanathan

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Study on the occurrence and distribution of unusual crab species is a matter of fascination for carcinalogists. The present study reports the recurrence of a marine brachyuran crab species Parapanope euagora, of the family Galenidae, after a long period along the East coast of India. During a routine survey, three female ovigerous specimens are caught from Parangipettai coastal waters, southeast coast of India. From the results, after more than ten decades, the species, Parapanope euagora has reappeared in Indian coast revealing its possible, continued existence in Indian waters.

A new species of Fizesereneia Takeda & Tamura, 1980 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Cryptochiridae) from the Red Sea and Oman

KAUST Repository

Van Der Meij, Sancia E T

2015-03-16

A new species of cryptochirid crab, Fizesereneia panda van der Meij, is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from the scleractinian corals Lobophyllia cf. hemprichii and L. cf. corymbosa from the Farasan Banks, Farasan Islands, and the reefs off Thuwal in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea, and from Symphyllia recta from reefs in the Gulf of Oman. This is the second cryptochirid species with the Red Sea as type locality. It can be separated from its congeners by the subrectangular carapace, raised midline and the complete division of the carapace depressions, and reddish black colour pattern of these concavities in live specimens. This new species is the seventh assigned to Fizesereneia. A DNA barcode for the new species has been deposited in GenBank. Copyright © 2015 Magnolia Press.

Distribution notes on the Endangered freshwater crab Ceylonthelphusa armata Ng (1995 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae in Sri Lanka

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U. S.C. Udagedera

2015-09-01

Full Text Available There are 52 species of freshwater crabs in Sri Lanka and 51 of them are endemic. There are several species that are known only from a single locality.  Ceylonthelphusa armata is such a species, and we have initiated a study to record the distribution of this species as its typical locality is heavily polluted at Kadugannawa.  At present C. armata is known from six localities, and this information will be useful to facilitate the conservation of the species by assessing the Red List.  

Reproductive biology of the Suez Canal spider crab Schizophrys aspera (H. Milne Edwards, 1834: Crustacea: Brachyura: Majidae).

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El-Serehy, Hamed A; Al-Rasheid, Khaled A; Ibrahim, Nesreen K; Al-Misned, Fahad A

2015-11-01

A reproductive biology study of the spider crab Schizophrys aspera (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) was conducted in the Suez Canal from July 2012 to June 2013. The annual sex ratio (Male:Female) of S. aspera was female biased with values of 1:1.25. Out of the four ovarian development stages of this crab, two stages were observed in the Suez Canal throughout the whole year. The ovigerous crab's carapace width varied from 28 to 52 mm. This crab species can spawn during most of the year in the canal water, with a peak during late spring and early winter. The fecundity of ovigerous females ranged between 2349 and 13600 eggs with a mean of 5494 ± 1486 eggs. Female crabs that reached sexual maturity exhibited a minimum carapace width varying between 22 and 46 mm, and fifty percentage of all ovigerous females showed a carapace width of 36 mm.

Record of the freshwater stingrays Potamotrygon brachyura and P. motoro (Chondrichthyes, Potamotrygonidae in the lower Uruguay river, South America Registro das raias de água doce Potamotrygon brachyura e P. motoro (Potamotrygonidae no baixo rio Uruguai, America do Sul

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María Cristina Oddone

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Freshwater stingrays, or potamotrygonids, are restricted to Neotropical river drainages. These elasmobranchs are well adapted to freshwater environments and the number of described species gradually increases as further research is carried out. Some of the first studies on their systematics and natural history were carried out in the 1960s and 1970s in southern South America. However, there is no new published data on potamotrygonids from Uruguayan waters since then (except for local journal reports from sportive fishermen and specimens deposited in Uruguayan collections. The present study aims to record the recent occurrence of two species of potamotrygonids caught by sport fishermen, with comments on other published historical records for the same area. As many other elasmobranchs, these species have an important, but not always well understood, role in the Uruguayan rivers ecosystems.As raias de água doce ou potamotrigonídeos estão restritas às drenagens dos rios Neotropicais. Estas raias tem se adaptado bem aos ambientes de água doce e o número de espécies descritas aumenta gradualmente conforme as pesquisas na área se intensificam. Alguns dos primeiros estudos sobre a sistemática e a historia natural deste grupo foram realizados nas décadas de 1960 e 1970 na região Sul de América do Sul. Porém, há poucos dados publicados sobre potamotrigonídeos em águas uruguaias desde então (com exceção de registros de pescadores esportivos publicados em jornais locais, e espécimes depositados em coleções uruguaias. O presente estudo, portanto, tem como objetivo registrar a ocorrência de duas espécies de potamotrigonídeos no Uruguai capturados por pescadores esportivos assim como realizar uma compilação de ocorrências anteriores presentes na literatura. Como muitos outros elasmobrânquios, estas espécies possuem um papel importante nos ecossistemas dos rios uruguaios, embora não completamente compreendido.

Identification of potential essential fish habitats for skates based on fishers' knowledge.

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Serra-Pereira, Bárbara; Erzini, Karim; Maia, Catarina; Figueiredo, Ivone

2014-05-01

Understanding of spatio-temporal patterns of sensitive fish species such as skates (Rajidae) is essential for implementation of conservation measures. With insufficient survey data available for these species in Portuguese Continental waters, this study shows that fishery-dependent data associated with fishers' knowledge can be used to identify potential Essential Fish Habitats (EFH) for seven skate species. Sites with similar geomorphology were associated with the occurrence of juveniles and/or adults of the same group of species. For example, sites deeper than 100 m with soft sediment include predominantly adults of Raja clavata, and are the habitat for egg deposition of this species. Raja undulata and R. microocellata are the more coastal species, preferring sand or gravel habitats, while coastal areas with rocks and sand seabed are potential nursery areas for R. brachyura, R. montagui and R. clavata. The main output of this study is the identification of preferential fishing sites enclosing potential EFH for some species, associated with egg-laying and nursery grounds. The location of these areas will be considered for future seasonal closures, and studies will be conducted to evaluate the biological and socio-economic impacts of such measures. As in the past, fishermen will collaborate in the process of evaluating those impacts, since they have practical and applied knowledge that is extremely valuable for evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of such closures. In conclusion, this study is a first contribution to the understanding and identification of EFH for skate species, associated with nursery and egg deposition sites, with direct application to management.

Identification of Potential Essential Fish Habitats for Skates Based on Fishers' Knowledge

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Serra-Pereira, Bárbara; Erzini, Karim; Maia, Catarina; Figueiredo, Ivone

2014-05-01

Understanding of spatio-temporal patterns of sensitive fish species such as skates (Rajidae) is essential for implementation of conservation measures. With insufficient survey data available for these species in Portuguese Continental waters, this study shows that fishery-dependent data associated with fishers' knowledge can be used to identify potential Essential Fish Habitats (EFH) for seven skate species. Sites with similar geomorphology were associated with the occurrence of juveniles and/or adults of the same group of species. For example, sites deeper than 100 m with soft sediment include predominantly adults of Raja clavata, and are the habitat for egg deposition of this species. Raja undulata and R. microocellata are the more coastal species, preferring sand or gravel habitats, while coastal areas with rocks and sand seabed are potential nursery areas for R. brachyura, R. montagui and R. clavata. The main output of this study is the identification of preferential fishing sites enclosing potential EFH for some species, associated with egg-laying and nursery grounds. The location of these areas will be considered for future seasonal closures, and studies will be conducted to evaluate the biological and socio-economic impacts of such measures. As in the past, fishermen will collaborate in the process of evaluating those impacts, since they have practical and applied knowledge that is extremely valuable for evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of such closures. In conclusion, this study is a first contribution to the understanding and identification of EFH for skate species, associated with nursery and egg deposition sites, with direct application to management.

The East Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus (Brachyura: Varunidae in the Mediterranean Sea: an independent human-mediated introduction

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Christoph D. Schubart

2003-06-01

Full Text Available A single adult male specimen of the East Asian crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus (de Haan, 1835 was collected in August 2001 in the northern Adriatic Sea along the northwest coast of the peninsula of Istra. This is the first record of this genus and species from the Mediterranean Sea. Previously, Hemigrapsus sanguineus had been reported to invade the Atlantic coasts of North America and of western France, while the congeneric East Asian species, Hemigrapsus penicillatus (de Haan, 1835, has established breeding populations along the Atlantic coast of Europe. The current absence of Hemigrapsus sanguineus in southern Europe and the western Mediterranean suggests an independent human-mediated introduction of the Croatian specimen. Preliminary genetic analyses reveal that specimens from Istra, North America, and Japan have identical DNA haplotypes corresponding to the mitochondrial large subunit rRNA gene (16S mtDNA, while the homologous sequence from a specimen of Taiwan differs in two out of 525 nucleotides.

Reproduction and management of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ucididae) at Iguape, São Paulo, Brazil.

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Sant'Anna, Bruno S; Borges, Roberto P; Hattori, Gustavo Y; Pinheiro, Marcelo A A

2014-09-01

The mangrove crab Ucides cordatus is one of the most exploited crustaceans in Brazil. The present study investigated the breeding season of this species and the period of the "andada" phenomenon, when the crabs are active outside their burrows and perform agonistic behaviors. Furthermore related them to environmental factors, in a mangrove on the coast of Brazil, with inferences about management of this crab. The crabs reproduced from October through February. The "andada" occurred from November through February, with typical characteristics in the first two months, during the full and new moon periods, and was influenced positively by the air and soil temperature, luminosity, and tidal amplitude, and negatively by salinity. Based on the results of the present study, the period when the "andada" occurs in other parts of Brazil could be defined, which will aid in managing this fishery. For Iguape, state of São Paulo, Brazil, we suggest a legal off-season for both sexes in December or during the full and new moon, including January.

Relative growth, sexual dimorphism and morphometric maturity of Trichodactylus fluviatilis (Decapoda: Brachyura: Trichodactylidae from Santa Terezinha, Bahia, Brazil

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Tiago Rozário da Silva

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Freshwater crabs are important elements in the aquatic biota of brooks, rivers, lakes and ponds, from both ecological and the socio-economic aspects. Trichodactylidae comprises 51 endemic species from the Neotropical region. Among all the species of this family, Trichodactylus fluviatilis Latreille, 1828 has the widest geographic distribution throughout Brazil. Despite that, there are few published contributions on the biology of this species. The present study investigated the following aspects of T. fluviatilis: relative growth, mean size at onset of morphometric maturity, sexual dimorphism, laterality and heterochely. Specimens were collected monthly from September 2010 through August 2011, from the Velha Eugênia Brook, municipality of Santa Teresinha, State of Bahia. Carapace width (CW, carapace length (CL, major cheliped length (MaCL and minor cheliped length (MiCL, major cheliped height (MaCH and minor cheliped height (MiCH, and width of the fifth abdominal segment (5AB were measured to evaluate the presence of sexual dimorphism; the major difference between the sexes was in the CW vs. 5AB ratio. Heterochely was observed in males and females,with the right cheliped larger than the left in 89% of males and 81% of females. Crab size at the onset of morphometric maturity (= puberty molt was estimated based on the ratio between CL, cheliped dimensions, 5AB and CW (independent variable. Females were larger than males when they reached morphometric maturity in all studied relations. We recommend the use of chelipeds and abdominal width relationships to estimate the size at the morphometric maturity in males and females, respectively.

Integrative Taxonomic Study of the Purse Crab Genus Persephona Leach, 1817 (Brachyura: Leucosiidae): Combining Morphology and Molecular Data

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Magalhães, Tatiana; Robles, Rafael; Felder, Darryl L.

2016-01-01

Marine crabs of the genus Persephona Leach, 1817 are restricted to American waters of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Subfamilial assignment of this taxon has varied between authors and its species composition remain in question. We conducted a comparative study based on morphology and molecular phylogenetics for all ten recognized species of Persephona, along with Iliacantha hancocki. We tested whether Persephona finneganae, P. lichtensteinii, and P. crinita represent a single species as suggested by some authors; whether specimens identified as P. punctata, P. mediterranea, and P. aquilonaris warrant treatment as separate species; and whether I. hancocki should be regarded as a junior synonym of P. subovata. Diagnostic morphological characters (of the carapace, chelipeds, and third maxillipeds) were used along with gonopod (male first pleopod 1) features and live coloration. The 16S rRNA and the Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) (DNA barcoding) mitochondrial genes were used as molecular markers. Both morphological and molecular analyses revealed that putative specimens of P. crinita from Brazil and those assigned to P. finneganae were no different from specimens presently assignable to P. lichtensteinii. P. finneganae is regarded as a junior synonym of P. lichtensteinii, and we apply P. crinita only to specimens we examined from the Gulf of Mexico. Specimens from Brazil previously reported as P. crinita are herewith concluded to represent P. lichtensteinii. Additionally, P. townsendi is a junior synonym of P. orbicularis, Iliacantha hancocki is concluded to be a junior synonym of P. subovata, while P. aquilonaris and P. mediterranea are found to represent separate species. On the basis of our revisions, eight species of Persephona are considered valid, and the reported distribution for P. crinita is restricted. PMID:27099956

A new cavernicolous freshwater crab, Thelphusula styx sp. nov. (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae), from Gunong Mulu, Sarawak, Borneo

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ng, P.K.L.

1989-01-01

A new species of gecarcinucid freshwater crab, Thelphusula styx spec. nov., is described from Gunong Mulu National Park in Sarawak, Borneo. This is the third species of Thelphusula reported from the area.

Relative growth and sexual maturity of the stone crab Menippe nodifrons Stimpson, 1859 (Brachyura, Xanthoidea in southeastern Brazil

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Giovana Bertini

2007-03-01

Full Text Available The relative growth and size at onset of morphological sexual maturity of the stone crab Menippe nodifrons were investigated. A total of 399 crabs was captured on Praia Grande and Tenório beaches at Ubatuba. Carapace width (CW and length, cheliped propodus length and height, abdomen width in females, and gonopod length in males were recorded. In females, the abdominal width showed negative allometry for juveniles and positive allometry for adults; the puberty molt occurred at 31.6 mm CW. In males, the size at onset of morphological sexual maturity was estimated as 29.7 mm CW; the gonopod growth showed positive allometry for juveniles, and an isometric relationship for adults. The gonopod length and the abdominal width were the most appropriate morphometric variables to estimate size at onset of sexual maturity in this stone crab.O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar o crescimento relativo e a maturidade sexual morfológica de Menippe nodifrons. As coletas foram realizadas na Praia Grande e Tenório, Ubatuba, São Paulo. Os caranguejos foram separados quanto ao sexo e mensurados na região da largura (LC e comprimento da carapaça, comprimento e altura dos própodos quelares direito e esquerdo, largura do abdome (LA nas fêmeas e comprimento do gonopódio (CG nos machos. Obteve-se 399 indivíduos, sendo 195 machos e 204 fêmeas. Os machos atingiram a maturidade sexual com 29,7mm LC e as fêmeas com 31,6mm LC. Para as fêmeas a melhor relação que indicou a muda da puberdade foi LA vs. LC, sendo que o crescimento foi alométrico negativo na fase jovem e alométrico positivo após a muda da puberdade. Para os machos foi CG vs. LC evidenciando crescimento alométrico positivo na fase jovem e isométrico na fase adulta.

Integrative Taxonomic Study of the Purse Crab Genus Persephona Leach, 1817 (Brachyura: Leucosiidae: Combining Morphology and Molecular Data.

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Tatiana Magalhães

Full Text Available Marine crabs of the genus Persephona Leach, 1817 are restricted to American waters of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Subfamilial assignment of this taxon has varied between authors and its species composition remain in question. We conducted a comparative study based on morphology and molecular phylogenetics for all ten recognized species of Persephona, along with Iliacantha hancocki. We tested whether Persephona finneganae, P. lichtensteinii, and P. crinita represent a single species as suggested by some authors; whether specimens identified as P. punctata, P. mediterranea, and P. aquilonaris warrant treatment as separate species; and whether I. hancocki should be regarded as a junior synonym of P. subovata. Diagnostic morphological characters (of the carapace, chelipeds, and third maxillipeds were used along with gonopod (male first pleopod 1 features and live coloration. The 16S rRNA and the Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI (DNA barcoding mitochondrial genes were used as molecular markers. Both morphological and molecular analyses revealed that putative specimens of P. crinita from Brazil and those assigned to P. finneganae were no different from specimens presently assignable to P. lichtensteinii. P. finneganae is regarded as a junior synonym of P. lichtensteinii, and we apply P. crinita only to specimens we examined from the Gulf of Mexico. Specimens from Brazil previously reported as P. crinita are herewith concluded to represent P. lichtensteinii. Additionally, P. townsendi is a junior synonym of P. orbicularis, Iliacantha hancocki is concluded to be a junior synonym of P. subovata, while P. aquilonaris and P. mediterranea are found to represent separate species. On the basis of our revisions, eight species of Persephona are considered valid, and the reported distribution for P. crinita is restricted.

Gonad development in females of fiddler crab Uca rapax (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ocypodidae using macro and microscopic techniques Desenvolvimento da gônada em fêmeas do caranguejo-violinista Uca rapax (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ocypodidae utilizando técnicas macro e microscópicas

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Daniela da Silva Castiglioni

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The morphology of the ovaries in Uca rapax (Smith, 1870 was described based on macroscopic and microscopic analysis. Females were collected in Itamambuca mangrove, Ubatuba, state of São Paulo, Brazil. In the laboratory, 18 females had their ovaries removed and prepared for histology. Each gonad developmental stage was previously determined based on external and macroscopic morphology and afterwards each stage was microscopically described. The ovaries of U. rapax showed a pronounced macroscopic differentiation in size and coloration with the maturation of the gonad, with six ovarian developmental stages: immature, rudimentary, developing, developed, advanced and spent. During the vitellogenesis, the amount of oocytes in secondary stage increases in the ovary, resulting in a change in coloration of the gonad. Oogonias, primary oocytes, secondary oocytes and follicular cells were histologically described and measured. In female’s ovaries of U. rapax the modifications observed in the oocytes during the process of gonad maturation are similar to descriptions of gonads of other females of brachyuran crustaceans. The similarities are specially found in the morphological changes in the reproductive cells, and also in the presence and arrange of follicle cells during the process of ovary maturation. When external morphological characteristics of the gonads were compared to histological descriptions, it was possible to observe modifications that characterize the process in different developmental stages throughout the ovarian cycle and, consequently, the macroscopic classification of gonad stages agree with the modifications of the reproductive cells.A morfologia dos ovários de Uca rapax foi descrita baseada nas análises macroscópica e microscópica. As fêmeas foram coletadas no manguezal de Itamambuca, Ubatuba, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. No laboratório, os ovários de 18 fêmeas foram retirados e preparados para histologia. Os estágios gonadais foram caracterizados previamente por meio de análises da morfologia externa e macroscopia e posteriormente cada estágio foi descrito microscopicamente. Os ovários das fêmeas de U. rapax apresentaram uma diferenciação macroscópica pronunciada no tamanho e coloração durante o processo de maturação, sendo caracterizados seis estágios de desenvolvimento ovariano: imaturo, rudimentar, em desenvolvimento, desenvolvido, avançado e esgotado. Microscopicamente, estes estágios diferiram quanto ao tamanho, cor e proporção de oogônias e oócitos presentes. Na análise histológica, oogônias, oócitos primários e secundários e células foliculares foram descritos e mensurados. As modificações observadas nos oócitos durante o processo de maturação dos ovários das fêmeas de U. rapax são similares às descrições de gônadas de outras fêmeas de braquiúros. As semelhanças foram especialmente observadas nas mudanças morfológicas das células reprodutivas e, também no arranjo das células foliculares durante o processo de maturação ovariana. Quando as características morfológicas externas das gônadas foram comparadas com as descrições histológicas, foi possível observar modificações que caracterizam o processo em diferentes estágios de desenvolvimento do ciclo ovariano e conseqüentemente, a classificação macroscópica das gônadas coincide com as modificações nas células reprodutivas.

A new species of portunid crab of the genus Charybdis (De Haan, 1833) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) from Goa, India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Padate, V.P.; Rivonker, C; Anil, A.C; Sawant, S.S.; Venkat, K.

A new species of portunid crab, Charybdis (Charybdis) goaensis sp. nov. is described from Goa, west coast of India. It differs from its closest congener, Charybdis (Charybdis) philippinensis in possessing bluntly triangular median frontal teeth...

Cytochemical characterization of gill and hepatopancreatic cells of the crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Brachyura validated by cell metal transport

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Priscila Ortega

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763 is a hypo-hyper-regulating mangrove crab possessing gills for respiratory and osmoregulatory processes, separated in anterior and posterior sections. They also have hepatopancreas, which is responsible for digestion and absorption of nutrients and detoxification of toxic metals. Each of these organs has specific cells that are important for in vitro studies in cell biology, ion and toxic metals transport. In order to study and characterize cells from gills and hepatopancreas, both were separated using a Sucrose Gradient (SG from 10 to 40% and cells in each gradient were characterized using the vital mitochondrial dye DASPEI (2-(4-dimethylaminostyryl-N- ethylpyridinium iodide and Trichrome Mallory's stain. Both in 20 and 40% SG for gill cells and 30% SG for hepatopancreatic cells, a greater number of cells were colored with DASPEI, indicating a larger number of mitochondria in these cells. It is concluded that the gill cells present in 20% and 40% SG are Thin cells, responsible for respiratory processes and Ionocytes responsible for ion transport, respectively. For hepatopancreatic cells, the 30% SG is composed of Fibrillar cells that possess larger number of membrane ion and nutrient transporters. Moreover, the transport of toxic metal cadmium (Cd by isolated hepatopancreatic cells was performed as a way of following cell physiological integrity after cell separation and to study differences in transport among the cells. All hepatopancreatic cells were able to transport Cd. These findings are the first step for further work on isolated cells of these important exchange epithelia of crabs, using a simple separation method and to further develop successful in vitro cell culture in crabs.

Living with a crab: effect of Austinotheres angelicus (Brachyura, Pinnotheridae infestation on the condition of Saccostrea palmula (Ostreoida, Ostreidae

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Sebastián Mena

Full Text Available Some members of the Pinnotheridae family exhibit close symbiotic relationships with bivalves, which may cause severe damage to the mollusk. The condition index (CI is a tool that serves to evaluate the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on the morphology and physiology of mollusks, including those caused by symbiotic organisms. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of the infestation of the pinnotherid crab Austinotheres angelicus on the oyster Saccostrea palmula through monthly sampling (April to November 2012 in Punta Morales, Pacific coast of Costa Rica. A total of 245 oysters were analyzed, of which 38% were infested by the pinnotherid crab. Most of the oysters analyzed (92% varied in depth between 1.5 and 15.0 mm; 89% of the infested oysters were in this depth range. The prevalence was positively correlated with the depth of the oyster. Our results revealed that crab infestation could reduce the CI by 11 to 33%. The obtained findings suggest that the infestation by A. angelicus provokes alterations of the flesh production of the oyster, especially when the association is with a pair of crabs including an ovigerous female. The association of A. angelicus with S. palmula is best described as facultative parasitism for male crabs and obligatory parasitism for females.

Morphology of the megalopa of the mud crab, Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Gould, 1841) (Decapoda, Brachyura, Panopeidae), identified by DNA barcode

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Marco-Herrero, Elena; González-Gordillo, J. Ignacio; Cuesta, José A.

2014-06-01

The morphology of the megalopa stage of the panopeid Rhithropanopeus harrisii is redescribed and illustrated in detail from plankton specimens identified by DNA barcode (16S mtDNA) as previous descriptions do not meet the current standard of brachyuran larval description. Several morphological characters vary widely from those of other panopeid species which could cast some doubt on the species' placement in the same family. Besides, some anomalous megalopae of R. harrisii were found among specimens reared at the laboratory from zoeae collected in the plankton. These anomalous morphological features are discussed in terms of problems associated with laboratory rearing conditions.

Description of a new genus of Cryptochiridae (Decapoda: Brachyura associated with Siderastrea (Anthozoa: Scleractinia, with notes on feeding habits

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Marcelle F.S. Badaro

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Members of the Cryptochiridae are small gall-crabs that live as obligate symbionts of scleractinian corals. Only two species have so far been recorded in the western Atlantic Ocean. Herein a new Cryptochiridae genus and species is described, and new information is added on the life history of cryptochirids. The new genus is characterized by having the carapace with the lowest deflection angle among the genera, and also shows the following features: thoracic sternite 4 with setules and constriction smaller than half of the width of the basis, anterior margin curved with apical row of granules; third maxilliped with subcircular exopod reaching medially the lateral margin of the ischium; pereiopod 2 with prominent distomesial and anterolateral expansion on the merus, propodus almost twice larger than dactylus; thoracic sternite 7 with complete medial suture, female pleopod 3 uniramous with longitudinal opening. Male first pleopod straight with subdistal curvature of approximately 90°. Individuals belonging to the new genus are found in galls in massive corals although this structure is cited as being characteristic of ramified corals. The long plumose setae of the maxilliped 3 suggest a filter-feeding function, but the toothless chelae suggest that they are used to gather mucus.

Morfología comparada del esqueleto axial en la familia de cangrejos de agua dulce Trichodactylidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura

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Manuel Pedraza

2015-07-01

Full Text Available El esqueleto axial es una estructura compleja de origen cuticular, formada a partir de las láminas esclerotizadas de los esternitos y pleuritos torácicos así como por sus invaginaciones internas. Los caracteres de la parte ventral del esqueleto axial, que se reflejan externamente en las líneas de sutura del esternón torácico, son criterios importantes en el actual sistema de supragenerico de Trichodactylidae: (Trichodactylinae y Dilocarcininae (Dilocarcinini + Valdiviini. Con el objetivo de probar esa hipótesis de clasificación fue realizado el estudio anatómico del esqueleto axial de 43 individuos adultos, tanto machos como hembras, pertenecientes a 17 especies de 10 géneros de Trichodactylidae. Para la preparación del material, los individuos fueron diseccionados y sus esqueletos sumergidos, por un periodo de 24 a 48 horas, en una solución caliente de Hidróxido de Potasio (KOH. El análisis anatómico permitió describir un grupo de variaciones en la forma, orientación y conformación del esternón torácico, techo pleural, fragmas ventrales y dorsales, así como de la lámina de unión. De acuerdo con esas características las especies estudiadas fueron reunidas en tres grupos, siendo esas agrupaciones consistentes con la actual propuesta de clasificación de Trichodactylidae en subfamilias y tribus. El presente trabajo resalta la importancia informativa de la morfología del esqueleto axial para la taxonomía de Trichodactylidae.

A new species of troglobitic crab of the genus Stygothelphusa Ng, 1989, from Sarawak, Malaysia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae).

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Ng, Peter K L; Grinang, Jongkar

2014-03-04

A new species of cave crab, Stygothelphusa antu new species, is described from limestone formations in Temurang, Sarawak, Malaysia. The new species is the most highly adapted to a cavericolous lifestyle among the four known species of Stygothelphusa, having a pale body pigmentation, reduced eyes and elongated pereopods. In contrast, the other three species have normal eyes that almost completely fill the orbits. The new species also differs from its congeners by a number of carapace, pereopod and gonopod characters.

Relative growth of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ocypodidae at Iguape, São Paulo, Brazil

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Marcelo Antonio Amaro Pinheiro

2006-09-01

Full Text Available A total of 2,130 individuals of Ucides cordatus (1,255 males and 875 females were captured in a mangrove forest at Iguape, São Paulo, Brazil. For each crab, the following body structures were measured: carapace (width = CW; length = CL; depth = CD, 5th abdominal somite (AW, major chelar propodus (length = PL; width = PW; depth = PD, and 1st and 2nd gonopod pairs (length = GL1 and GL2. The Student "t" and Snedecor "F" tests were used to verify any changes in growth allometric rates during ontogeny. The relationships CLxCW, PLxCW (for both sexes, GL1xCW and GL2xCW (males and AWxCW (females, showed a better fit by two equations for the juvenile and adult phases (p 59 mm. Females showed a similar size interval: (juvenile CW 58 mm.Um total de 2,130 indivíduos de U. cordatus (1,255 machos e 875 fêmeas foi coletado em Iguape (SP, Brasil. Cada exemplar foi submetido à biometria das seguintes estruturas: cefalotórax (largura = CW; comprimento = CL; altura = CD, quinto somito abdominal (AW, própodo quelar (comprimento = PL; espessura = PW; altura = PD, e 1º e 2º par de gonopódios (comprimento = GL1 e GL2. O teste "t" Student e "F" de Snedecor foram utilizados para identificar diferenças no grau de alometria e alterações ontogenéticas na taxa de crescimento, respectivamente. As relações CLxCW, PLxCW (ambos os sexos, GL1xCW e GL2xCW (machos e AWxCW (fêmeas, apresentaram ajuste por duas equações representando a fase jovem e adulta (p59mm, com tamanho similar ao dos morfotipos das fêmeas (jovens CW58mm.

Morphology of the first zoea of the shamefaced crab Calappa granulata (Linnaeus, 1758 (Brachyura, Calappidae obtained in the laboratory

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Torres, P.

1999-12-01

Full Text Available The first zoeal stage of the calappid crab Calappa granulata is described and illustrated from laboratory-reared material obtained from an ovigerous female captured in the western Mediterranean. The morphology of this larval stage is clearly different from previous description from plankton-collected specimens attributed to this species. The present stage is compared with those previously described from other species of the genus Calappa.En el presente trabajo se describe el primer estadio larvario del cangrejo Calappa granulata. Las larvas se obtuvieron a partir de una hembra ovígera capturada en el Mediterráneo occidental. La morfología de la primera zoea es claramente diferente a la anterior descripción realizada a partir de ejemplares obtenidos en el plancton, y que fue atribuida a C. granulata. La primera zoea de esta especie es comparada con la de otras especies descritas del género Calappa.

Developmental and moult cycle related biochemical changes in larvae of the spider crab, Maja brachydactyla (Brachyura: Majidae)

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Guiomar Rotllant; Guillermo Guerao; Marta Sastre; Klaus Anger

2012-01-01

Se han estudiado los cambios ontogénicos en peso seco, composición elemental (CHN), y actividad enzimática (proteasas totales, amilasas) durante el ciclo de muda en todos los estadios larvarios (zoea I-II, megalopa; ZI, ZII, M) del centollo Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922 cultivados en el laboratorio. Se ha observado un incremento gradual y significativo en la biomasa durante los estadios de zoea, seguido de un crecimiento brusco en la megalopa alcanzando valores máximos en el estado de muda D...

The complete larval development of Eurypanopeus canalensis Abele and Kim, 1989 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Panopeidae described from laboratory reared material

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Marcelo U. García-Guerrero

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The estuarine panopeid crab Eurypanopeus canalensis Abele and Kim, 1989, is an eastern tropical Pacific species with a known distribution from the southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico, to Panama. Its complete larval development is fully described and illustrated from laboratory-reared material. The four zoeal stages and the megalopa are compared with two congeneric species from the West Atlantic, E. abbreviatus (Stimpson, 1860 and E. depressus (Smith, 1869. The main differences between larvae of E. canalensis and those of these two species include telson setation and the presence/absence of a stout hook-like spine in the megalopae cheliped ischium.

Combined Effects of Temperature and Salinity on Larval Development of the Mangrove Crab Parasesarma catenata Ortman, 1897 (Brachyura: Sesarmidae)

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Mwaluma, J.; Nogueira Mendes, R.; Raedig, C.; Emmerson, W.; Paula, J.

2003-01-01

The larval stages of the mangrove crab Parasesarma catenata were reared in the laboratory from eggs of females collected in the Mgazana estuary, South Africa. Survival and duration of larval stages were tested for the combined effects of temperature and salinity in a factorial design experiment, using three females each with two replicates of 15 larvae per combination. Combinations were made from five temperature (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 ºC) and four salinity values (15, 25, 35 a...

Ultrastructure of spermatozoa of spider crabs, family Mithracidae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura): Integrative analyses based on morphological and molecular data.

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Assugeni, Camila de O; Magalhães, Tatiana; Bolaños, Juan A; Tudge, Christopher C; Mantelatto, Fernando L; Zara, Fernando J

2017-12-01

Recent studies based on morphological and molecular data provide a new perspective concerning taxonomic aspects of the brachyuran family Mithracidae. These studies proposed a series of nominal changes and indicated that the family is actually represented by a different number and representatives of genera than previously thought. Here, we provide a comparative description of the ultrastructure of spermatozoa and spermatophores of some species of Mithracidae in a phylogenetic context. The ultrastructure of the spermatozoa and spermatophore was observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The most informative morphological characters analysed were thickness of the operculum, shape of the perforatorial chamber and shape and thickness of the inner acrosomal zone. As a framework, we used a topology based on a phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial data obtained here and from previous studies. Our results indicate that closely related species share a series of morphological characteristics of the spermatozoa. A thick operculum, for example, is a feature observed in species of the genera Amphithrax, Teleophrys, and Omalacantha in contrast to the slender operculum observed in Mithraculus and Mithrax. Amphithrax and Teleophrys have a rhomboid perforatorial chamber, while Mithraculus, Mithrax, and Omalacantha show a wider, deltoid morphology. Furthermore, our results are in agreement with recently proposed taxonomic changes including the separation of the genera Mithrax (previously Damithrax), Amphithrax (previously Mithrax) and Mithraculus, and the synonymy of Mithrax caribbaeus with Mithrax hispidus. Overall, the spermiotaxonomy of these species of Mithracidae represent a novel set of data that corroborates the most recent taxonomic revision of the family and can be used in future taxonomic and phylogenetic studies within this family. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Antarctic crabs: invasion or endurance?

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Huw J Griffiths

Full Text Available Recent scientific interest following the "discovery" of lithodid crabs around Antarctica has centred on a hypothesis that these crabs might be poised to invade the Antarctic shelf if the recent warming trend continues, potentially decimating its native fauna. This "invasion hypothesis" suggests that decapod crabs were driven out of Antarctica 40-15 million years ago and are only now returning as "warm" enough habitats become available. The hypothesis is based on a geographically and spatially poor fossil record of a different group of crabs (Brachyura, and examination of relatively few Recent lithodid samples from the Antarctic slope. In this paper, we examine the existing lithodid fossil record and present the distribution and biogeographic patterns derived from over 16,000 records of Recent Southern Hemisphere crabs and lobsters. Globally, the lithodid fossil record consists of only two known specimens, neither of which comes from the Antarctic. Recent records show that 22 species of crabs and lobsters have been reported from the Southern Ocean, with 12 species found south of 60 °S. All are restricted to waters warmer than 0 °C, with their Antarctic distribution limited to the areas of seafloor dominated by Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW. Currently, CDW extends further and shallower onto the West Antarctic shelf than the known distribution ranges of most lithodid species examined. Geological evidence suggests that West Antarctic shelf could have been available for colonisation during the last 9,000 years. Distribution patterns, species richness, and levels of endemism all suggest that, rather than becoming extinct and recently re-invading from outside Antarctica, the lithodid crabs have likely persisted, and even radiated, on or near to Antarctic slope. We conclude there is no evidence for a modern-day "crab invasion". We recommend a repeated targeted lithodid sampling program along the West Antarctic shelf to fully test the validity of the

Evolutionary morphology of the organ systems in squat lobsters and porcelain crabs (crustacea: Decapoda: Anomala): an insight into carcinization.

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Keiler, Jonas; Richter, Stefan; Wirkner, Christian S

2015-01-01

Porcelain crabs (Porcellanidae) are one of three taxa within anomuran crustaceans (Anomala) which possess a crab-like body form. Curiously, these three lineages evolved this shape independently from true crabs (Brachyura) in the course of the evolutionary process termed carcinization. The entire pleon in porcelain crabs is flexed under the cephalothorax and the carapace is approximately as broad as long. Despite their crab-like habitus, porcelain crabs are phylogenetically nested within squat lobsters (Munidopsidae, Munididae, Galatheidae). With a pleon which is only partly flexed under the cephalothorax and a cephalothorax which is longer than it is broad, squat lobsters represent morphologically intermediate forms between lobster-like and crab-like body shapes. Carcinization has so far mostly been studied with respect to outer morphology; however, it is evident that internal anatomical features are influenced through this change of body shape too. In this paper, the situation in Galatheoidea is elucidated by adding more taxa to existing descriptions of the hemolymph vascular systems and associated structures and organs. Micro-computer tomography and 3D reconstruction provide new insights. Autapomorphic states of various internal anatomical characters are present in nearly all the studied species, also reflecting some degree of anatomical disparity found within Galatheoidea. The ventral vessel system of porcelain crabs differs distinctly from that of squat lobsters. The differences in question are coherent (i.e. structural dependent) with morphological transformations in the integument, such as the shortening of the sternal plastron, which evolved in the course of carcinization. Shifts in the gonads and the pleonal neuromeres are coherent with the loss of the caridoid escape reaction, which in turn is a consequence of carcinization. The arterial transformations, however, are minor compared to other instances of carcinization in anomuran crustaceans since the last

Diet of Norwegian coastal cod (Gadus morhua) studied by using citizen science

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Enoksen, Siri Elise; Reiss, Henning

2018-04-01

The Norwegian coastal cod (Gadus morhua) is a keystone species in the food web of northern Norwegian fjords. Their relatively stationary populations might specifically depend on local food resources, but the diet of cod has rarely been studied in fjord systems. Using a citizen science approach, where recreational anglers and tourists participated in the sampling, we studied small-scale differences in the diet composition of cod in a fjord system in northern Norway. We compared the cod diet from the MPA Saltstraumen, characterised by strong tidal currents and a highly diverse and abundant fauna, with the inner fjord area of Skjerstadfjord. The diet composition of cod significantly differed between both areas within the fjord. Although fish was the dominant prey in both areas, cod consumed > 40% invertebrates in terms of weight, even in the cod size class of 70-99 cm. The invertebrate prey also caused the observed spatial differences. In Saltstraumen, brittle stars (Ophiuroidea), crabs (Brachyura) and sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) were important food sources for cod, while sea urchins (Echinoidea), clams (Bivalvia), shrimps (Caridea) and krill (Euphausiacea) dominated the diet in the inner Skjerstadfjord. The high densities of sessile fauna in the dynamic environment of Saltstraumen, was only partly reflected in the diet of cod, with only Holothuroidea found in 17% of the stomachs. High rates of empty stomachs (24%), cannibalism as well as a higher proportion of low-energy prey in the diet of large cod, may indicate a shortage of high quality food in Skjerstadfjord. The samples for this study were collected through a citizen science campaign. This approach might provide opportunities to be used for coastal ecological monitoring with potential applications in local ecosystem management strategies through public involvement.

Species diversity and distribution of freshwater crabs (Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae inhabiting the basin of the Rio Grande de Térraba, Pacific slope of Costa Rica

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Luis Rólier Lara

2013-09-01

Full Text Available During the last decades, knowledge on biodiversity of freshwater decapods has increased considerably; however, information about ecology of these crustaceans is scarce. Currently, the freshwater decapod fauna of Costa Rica is comprised by representatives of three families (Caridea: Palaemonidae and Atyidae; Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae. The present study aims to describe the species diversity and distribution of freshwater crabs inhabiting the basin of the Rio Grande de Térraba, Pacific slope of Costa Rica, where the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE plans to implement one of the largest damming projects in the region. Samples were collected in 39 locations at an altitude ranging from 20 to 1,225 m. Sampling was carried out during several months in 2007, 2009 and 2010. We collected a total of 661 crabs, comprising eight species of Pseudothelphusidae of three genera, representing 53% of the 15 pseudothelphusid crab species currently recorded from Costa Rica. The most common species was Ptychophallus paraxanthusi followed by P. tristani. Freshwater crabs were more frequently encountered in the middle-low region of the basin (between 311 and 600 m and less frequently in the medium-high basin (between 601 and 1,225 m. Ptychophallus paraxanthusi showed the widest distribution and was collected in altitudes ranging from 20 to 700 m. The Rio Grande de Térraba region can be considered as a relatively small, but highly diverse system. Therefore, any alteration of the basin of Rio Grande de Térraba, and especially the possible construction of a hydroelectric power plant, needs to be carefully analyzed to mitigate the damaging effects of this project on the freshwater crabs. More ecological information about freshwater crabs from Costa Rica and the Central American region are needed to reach a first reasonable overview on the ecological role of these decapods in freshwater systems.

Impacts of forest farm practice on small to medium-sized mammals at Kemasul forest reserve, Pahang, Malaysia

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Razali, Nor Bazilah; Abdul-Rahim, Ahmad Rizal; Md-Nor, Shukor; Mohd-Taib, Farah Shafawati

2018-04-01

Exploitation of forest for commercial agriculture has taken toll on wildlife species worldwide. A forest farm project with the aim of compensating the forest loss has been implemented in Kemasul Forest Reserve, of Pahang State, Malaysia through plantation of fast growing and adaptable plant species. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of this practice on diversity. The study was conducted in a long strip of forest fragment, where two study sites with different landscape matrix types were chosen; oil palm plantation (JR) and Acacia mangium plantations (CM). A total of 75 individuals from 13 species and six families were collected at both sites. The result shows forest with A. mangium plantations matrix types yield higher species diversity. There are 10 shared species that can be found at both study sites including Callosciurus notatus, Hystrix brachyura, Macaca nemestrina, and Tupaia glis. However, some species only existed at selected sites such as Leopoldamys sabanus which can only be found at JR. On the other hand, Callosciurus nigrovittatus, Viverra tangalunga and Paradoxurus hermaphroditus were only recorded at CM. Out of all individuals collected, four of them are protected species as reported by IUCN. Callosciurus nigrovittatus is listed as Near Threatened while the other three species (Maxomys rajah, Maxomys whiteheadi, and Macaca nemestrina) are Vulnerable. If conservation efforts in Kemasul Forest Reserved are neglected, these four species would be exposed to critical threats that might cause them facing extinction in the future. Mann Whitney U test shows no significant difference of distribution and species richness of small to medium-sized mammals in both study sites (U=51.5, p=0.59). This study therefore reveals that although the compensatory forest plantation initiatives yield positive effect on diversity of mammal's species, it does not necessarily provide ample food resources to the wildlife, instead it serves as important buffer

Interpopulational differences in the female reproductive cycle of the southwestern Atlantic estuarine crab Chasmagnathus granulatus Dana, 1851 (Brachyura: Grapsoidea: Varunidae

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Romina B. Ituarte

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The female reproductive biology of Chasmagnathus granulatus Dana, a semiterrestrial burrowing crab endemic to the southwestern Atlantic, was compared in two contrasting coastal habitats: San Antonio (SA, marine and Mar Chiquita (MC, estuarial. Mature females were collected monthly for 1.5 years and the ovarian cycle was described using a qualitative scale. Gonadosomatic (GSI and hepatosomatic (HSI indexes were calculated. The highest GSI and HSI occurred early in the reproductive season in SA and during the non-reproductive season in MC. The beginning and duration of the reproductive season also differed between populations: it started later and was shorter in SA. In MC, secondary vitellogenesis continued when the reproductive season had finished, and the ovaries remained fully developed throughout the non-reproductive season (winter. Therefore, females of MC were ready to lay eggs as soon as spring environmental conditions appeared. However, SA females did not attain a fully developed ovary during winter. A limited food supply would restrict the available energy to complete secondary vitellogenesis at the end of the reproductive season in SA, after the last spawning. Thus, the vitellogenic cycle should be completed in the following spring, causing a delay in the beginning of the reproductive period. In addition, the higher temperature amplitude may cause the reproductive period in SA to end early.

Some lite it hot: the effect of temperature on brood development in the invasive crab Hemigrapsus takanoi (Decapoda: brachyura: Varunidae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brink, van den A.M.; Godschalk, M.; Smaal, A.C.; Lindeboom, H.J.; McLay, C.L.

2013-01-01

The duration of brood development in the introduced crab, Hemigrapsus takanoi in the Oosterschelde, The Netherlands, was compared at three different water temperatures. At 12, 18 and 24°C the females took an average of 32, 11 and 8 days respectively to lay eggs, which took 86, 28 and 18 days

Local knowledge of traditional fishermen on economically important crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura) in the city of Conde, Bahia State, Northeastern Brazil.

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de Magalhães, Henrique Fernandes; Costa Neto, Eraldo Medeiros; Schiavetti, Alexandre

2012-07-02

This article records the traditional knowledge of crab gatherers in the city of Conde, in the North Coast Region of Bahia State, Northeastern Brazil. Data on biological and ecological aspects of economically important brachyuran crustaceans have been obtained from semi-structured interviews and in loco observations conducted from September 2007 to December 2009. A total of 57 fishermen of both genders, aged between 10 and 78 years have been interviewed (individually or collectively) in different contexts; interviewees were asked about aspects such as external morphology, life cycle, trophic ecology, and spatial and temporal distribution of the major economically important brachyuran crustaceans in the region. Seven fishing communities were visited: Siribinha, Sítio do Conde, Poças, Ilha das Ostras, Cobó, Buri and Sempre Viva. Data were analyzed by comparing the information provided by participants with those from the specialized academic literature. The results show that artisanal fishermen have a wide ranging and well-grounded knowledge on the ecological and biological aspects of crustaceans. Crab gatherers of Conde know about growth and reproductive behavior of the animals they interact with, especially with regard to the three major biological aspects: "molt", "walking dance" and "spawning". This knowledge constitutes an important source of information that should be considered in studies of management and sustainable use of fishery resources in the North Coast Region of Bahia State.

A ocorrência, no litoral brasileiro, de um Portunidae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, originário do Indo-Pacífico

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Gustavo Augusto S. de Melo

1982-01-01

Full Text Available The portunid Scylla serrata, widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific, is reported for the first time from the Southwestern Atlantic. A female specimen was captured at Peruíbe, State of São Paulo, by a fishing boat, at a depth of approximately 15 m. A detailed description of the specimens is given, with data on the geographical distribution of the species, and a discussion of the taxonomic status of the genus.

A new species of micro-mangrove crab of the genus Haberma Ng & Schubart, 2002 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Sesarmidae from Hong Kong

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Stefano Cannicci

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The sesarmid genus Haberma Ng & Schubart, 2002, currently contains two species of small mangrove crabs with the first two pairs of the male ambulatory legs possessing characteristic subchelate dactyli and propodi. A new species, H. tingkok, is here described from Hong Kong. It can be separated from H. nanum Ng & Schubart, 2002 (from Singapore, and H. kamora Rahayu & Ng, 2005 (from Indonesian Papua by its carapace shape, proportions of the ambulatory legs, and structures of the male pleon and male first gonopod.

A new species of micro-mangrove crab of the genus Haberma Ng & Schubart, 2002 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Sesarmidae) from Hong Kong.

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Cannicci, Stefano; Ng, Peter L K

2017-01-01

The sesarmid genus Haberma Ng & Schubart, 2002, currently contains two species of small mangrove crabs with the first two pairs of the male ambulatory legs possessing characteristic subchelate dactyli and propodi. A new species, H. tingkok , is here described from Hong Kong. It can be separated from H. nanum Ng & Schubart, 2002 (from Singapore), and H. kamora Rahayu & Ng, 2005 (from Indonesian Papua) by its carapace shape, proportions of the ambulatory legs, and structures of the male pleon and male first gonopod.

Range extensions along western Atlantic for Epialtidae crabs (Brachyura, Majoidea genera Acanthonyx Latreille, 1828 and Epialtus H. Milne Edwards, 1834

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Ana Francisca Tamburus

Full Text Available The present study provided information extending the known geographical distribution of three species of majoid crabs, the epialtids Acanthonyx dissimulatus Coelho, 1993, Epialtus bituberculatus H. Milne Edwards, 1834, and E. brasiliensis Dana, 1852. Specimens of both genera from different carcinological collections were studied by comparing morphological characters. We provide new data that extends the geographical distributions of E. bituberculatus to the coast of the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina (Brazil, and offer new records from Belize and Costa Rica. Epialtus brasiliensis is recorded for the first time in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil, and A. dissimulatus is reported from Quintana Roo, Mexico. The distribution of A. dissimulatus, previously known as endemic to Brazil, has a gap between the states of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro. However, this restricted southern distribution is herein amplified by the Mexican specimens.

Consistent habitat segregation between sexes in the spider crabs Maja brachydactyla and Maja squinado (Brachyura, as revealed by stable isotopes

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Guillermo Guerao

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Differences in the resource use patterns of males and females of the spider crab species Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922 and M. squinado (Herbst, 1788 from several geographic areas (three in the Atlantic and two in the Mediterranean were studied through the analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in the exoskeleton of post-pubertal (adult specimens. Results confirmed that males and females from the same population usually did not differ in δ15N values and hence foraged at the same trophic level. In contrast, females were usually enriched in 13C as compared with males from the same population, thus suggesting that females use shallower habitats than males before the terminal moult. The results reported here also indicate that stable isotop.

Effects of metal contamination in situ on osmoregulation and oxygen consumption in the mudflat fiddler crab Uca rapax (Ocypodidae, Brachyura).

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Capparelli, Mariana V; Abessa, Denis M; McNamara, John C

2016-01-01

The contamination of estuaries by metals can impose additional stresses on estuarine species, which may exhibit a limited capability to adjust their regulatory processes and maintain physiological homeostasis. The mudflat fiddler crab Uca rapax is a typical estuarine crab, abundant in both pristine and contaminated areas along the Atlantic coast of Brazil. This study evaluates osmotic and ionic regulatory ability and gill Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity in different salinities (Rio Itapanhaú, Bertioga>Picinguaba, Ubatuba [pristine reference site]). Our findings show that the contamination of U. rapax by metals in situ leads to bioaccumulation and induces biochemical and physiological changes compared to crabs from the pristine locality. U. rapax from the contaminated sites exhibit stronger hyper- and hypo-osmotic regulatory abilities and show greater gill Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activities than crabs from the pristine site, revealing that the underlying biochemical machinery can maintain systemic physiological processes functioning well. However, oxygen consumption, particularly at elevated temperatures, decreases in crabs showing high bioaccumulation titers but increases in crabs with low/moderate bioaccumulation levels. These data show that U. rapax chronically contaminated in situ exhibits compensatory biochemical and physiological adjustments, and reveal the importance of studies on organisms exposed to metals in situ, particularly estuarine invertebrates subject to frequent changes in natural environmental parameters like salinity and temperature. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Population biology and distribution of the portunid crab Callinectes ornatus (Decapoda: Brachyura) in an estuary-bay complex of southern Brazil

OpenAIRE

Timoteo T. Watanabe; Bruno S. Sant'Anna; Gustavo Y. Hattori; Fernando J. Zara

2014-01-01

Trawl fisheries are associated with catches of swimming crabs, which are an important economic resource for commercial as well for small-scale fisheries. This study evaluated the population biology and distribution of the swimming crab Callinectes ornatus (Ordway, 1863) in the Estuary-Bay of São Vicente, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Crabs were collected from a shrimp fishing boat equipped with a semi-balloon otter-trawl net, on eight transects (four in the estuary and four in the bay) from Mar...

A new species of the genus Kingsleya from Amazonia, with a modified key for the Brazilian Pseudothelphusidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Magalhaes, C.

1990-01-01

Abstract: A new species of Pseudothelphusid crab, Kingsleya besti spec. nov., is described from Serra do Curicuriari, northwest of the State of Amazonas, Brazil. A modified dey for identification of the Pseudothelphusid crabs occurring in Brazil is given. Resumo: É descrita uma nova espécie de

Local knowledge of traditional fishermen on economically important crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura in the city of Conde, Bahia State, Northeastern Brazil

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de Magalhães Henrique

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This article records the traditional knowledge of crab gatherers in the city of Conde, in the North Coast Region of Bahia State, Northeastern Brazil. Methods Data on biological and ecological aspects of economically important brachyuran crustaceans have been obtained from semi-structured interviews and in loco observations conducted from September 2007 to December 2009. A total of 57 fishermen of both genders, aged between 10 and 78 years have been interviewed (individually or collectively in different contexts; interviewees were asked about aspects such as external morphology, life cycle, trophic ecology, and spatial and temporal distribution of the major economically important brachyuran crustaceans in the region. Seven fishing communities were visited: Siribinha, Sítio do Conde, Poças, Ilha das Ostras, Cobó, Buri and Sempre Viva. Data were analyzed by comparing the information provided by participants with those from the specialized academic literature. Results The results show that artisanal fishermen have a wide ranging and well-grounded knowledge on the ecological and biological aspects of crustaceans. Crab gatherers of Conde know about growth and reproductive behavior of the animals they interact with, especially with regard to the three major biological aspects: “molt”, “walking dance” and “spawning”. Conclusion This knowledge constitutes an important source of information that should be considered in studies of management and sustainable use of fishery resources in the North Coast Region of Bahia State.

Population biology and distribution of the portunid crab Callinectes ornatus (Decapoda: Brachyura in an estuary-bay complex of southern Brazil

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Timoteo T. Watanabe

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Trawl fisheries are associated with catches of swimming crabs, which are an important economic resource for commercial as well for small-scale fisheries. This study evaluated the population biology and distribution of the swimming crab Callinectes ornatus (Ordway, 1863 in the Estuary-Bay of São Vicente, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Crabs were collected from a shrimp fishing boat equipped with a semi-balloon otter-trawl net, on eight transects (four in the estuary and four in the bay from March 2007 through February 2008. Specimens caught were identified, sexed and measured. Samples of bottom water were collected and the temperature and salinity measured. A total of 618 crabs were captured (332 males, 267 females and 19 ovigerous females, with a sex ratio close to 1:1. A large number of juveniles were captured (77.67%. Crab spatial distributions were positively correlated with salinity (Rs = 0.73, p = 0.0395 and temperature (Rs = 0.71, p = 0.0092. Two peaks of recruitment occurred, in summer and autumn, and ovigerous females were mostly captured during summer, showing a seasonal reproductive pattern. The results showed that C. ornatus uses the bay as a nursery area for juvenile development. Callinectes ornatus is not yet a legally protected species, and the minimum allowed size of crabs caught in the area, although already restricted, should be carefully evaluated since the removal of large numbers of juveniles could negatively impact the local population.

Ciclo reprodutivo do caranguejo violinista Uca rapax (Smith (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ocypodidae habitante de um estuário degradado em Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Reproductive cicle of the fiddler crab Uca rapax (Smith (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ocypodidae at a degraded estuary in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Daniela da S. Castiglioni

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho descreve o ciclo reprodutivo de Uca rapax (Smith, 1870 baseado em observações do seu desenvolvimento gonadal e ciclo de muda em uma área de manguezal degradado em Paraty, Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Os caranguejos foram capturados por duas pessoas mensalmente (julho/2001 a junho/2002 durante 15 minutos por meio da técnica de esforço de captura em período de maré baixa. No laboratório, os caranguejos foram mensurados quanto à largura da carapaça (LC; sendo o sexo, a condição ovígera e o estágio gonadal anotados. Os estágios de desenvolvimento gonadal foram determinados por meio da observação macroscópica das gônadas e os estágios de muda através da observação do grau de enrijecimento do tegumento. Os caranguejos que apresentavam gônadas imaturas e rudimentares foram considerados imaturos enquanto os demais estágios gonadais, maduros. Obteve-se um total de 1558 espécimes, sendo 801 machos e 757 fêmeas (16 fêmeas ovígeras. As fêmeas ovígeras representaram apenas 3% da população, talvez pelo fato destas fêmeas permanecerem em suas tocas. Apesar de terem sido encontrados caranguejos com gônadas maduras ao longo de todo o ano, o período de maior atividade reprodutiva em U. rapax ocorre nos meses mais quentes do ano (primavera-verão. A freqüência de caranguejos em atividade de muda ao longo do período de estudo foi baixa (12,8% em relação aos caranguejos em intermuda. Provavelmente, U. rapax permaneça entocada nesse período crítico, que é a troca do exoesqueleto. Apesar de U.rapax ocorrer em um manguezal completamente degradado, o seu ciclo reprodutivo não foi afetado, quando comparado com de áreas não degradadas estudadas anteriormente. Tal fato pode ser sustentado pela presença de caranguejos potencialmente maduros ao longo do ano todo na área de estudo.This present work describes the reproductive cycle of Uca rapax (Smith, 1870 based on observations of their gonadal development and molt cycles in a degraded mangrove area in Paraty, State of Rio de Janeiro. Two collectors captured the crabs monthly (from July 2001 to June 2002 during 15 minutes by procedure of capture per unit effort in low tide periods. Crabs were sexed, measured (carapace width - CW; 0.01 mm precision and females were checked for eggs. Crab' stages of gonad development of both sexes were determined by direct and macroscopic observation and molt stage was estimated by the hardness of the tegument. A total of 1,558 specimens were collected, being 801 males and 757 females (16 ovigerous females. Ovigerous females accounted only about 3% of the population, perhaps because females usually remain underground in closed burrows during the incubation, which can not be seen easily in the field. Crabs with mature gonads were found year-round, but most reproduction in U. rapax occurred during the warmer months of the year (spring-summer. The frequency of crabs in molt activity was lower (12.8% than intermolt crabs. Probably, U. rapax burrowed in this critic period that is the change of exoskeleton, minimizing the risks imposed by the occurrence of a soft skeleton. Despite of U. rapax be occurring in a properly degraded mangrove, its reproductive cycle seems to be not affected by the habitat condition, when it is compared with areas of the mangroves no impacted by human action. This fact is supported by the presence of potentially mature crabs year-round at the study area.

Population structure and sexual maturity of the calico box crab Hepatus epheliticus Linnaeus (Brachyura, Hepatidae from Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico Estructura poblacional y madurez sexual en el cangrejo caja moteado Hepatus epheliticus Linnaeus (Brachyura, Hepatidae procedente de la Península del Yucatán, México

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Patricio Hernáez

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The calico box crab Hepatus epheliticus is an abundant species from shallow and continental shelf waters of the Atlantic coast of USA and Mexico. Information about population structure and sexual maturity is absent, even though this crab is caught to be used as bait for the octopus fishery in the Campeche Bank, Mexico. In order to achieve such information, a total of 768 individuals were collected from January to March 2010 through baited traps installed in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Our results showed that sex ratio is biased towards more males than females (1:0.55, contradicting to that reported in other brachyuran crabs. The absence of ovigerous females suggests that they did not enter into the traps during embryogenesis. Males reached a larger maximum size than females (64.0 ± 6.15 and 58.4 ± 5.60 mm carapace width, respectively. The general scheme of growth being positive allometric throughout ontogeny of both sexes. Males presented a transition phase from juveniles to adult corresponding to the puberty moult. The estimation of the onset of functional sexual maturity revealed a steady situation for the population, with 21.5 and 13.8% of males and females, respectively, morphologically immature at the time of catch. This study constitutes the first report on population structure and sexual maturity in a population of the calico box crab H. epheliticus.El cangrejo caja moteado Hepatus epheliticus es un abundante braquiuro perteneciente a la familia Hepatidae, distribuido desde aguas someras hasta la plataforma continental en la costa atlántica de Estados Unidos y México. La información sobre su demografía poblacional y madurez sexual es actualmente inexistente, aun cuando esta especie es intensamente capturada como carnada en la pesquería del pulpo del estado de Campeche, México. Entre enero y marzo de 2010, se colectaron 768 especímenes usando trampas instaladas en la Península de Yucatán, México. Los resultados mostraron una proporción sexual completamente inclinada hacia los machos (1:0,55, lo cual contradice el esquema general reportado en otras especies de braquiuros. La ausencia total de hembras ovígeras, sugiere su resistencia a ingresar a las trampas durante el periodo de incubación de los embriones. Los machos alcanzaron un tamaño promedio mayor que las hembras (64,0 ± 6,15 y 58,4 ± 5,60 mm de ancho del caparazón, respectivamente, siendo el crecimiento de tipo alométrico positivo a lo largo de la ontogenia de ambos sexos. Los machos presentaron una fase de transición desde juveniles a adultos correspondiente a la muda de pubertad. La estimación de la madurez sexual funcional mostró una situación normal para la población, con 21,5 y 13,8% de machos y hembras respectivamente, morfológicamente inmaduros al momento de ser capturados. Este estudio constituye la primera aproximación a la estructura poblacional y madurez sexual del cangrejo caja moteado H. epheliticus.

Hemigrapsus takanoi Asakura and Watanabe, 2005 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Grapsoidea): first records of the brush-clawed shore crab from Great Britain

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Wood, C. A.; Bishop, J. D. D.; Davies, Clare J.; Delduca, E. L.; Hatton, J. C.; Herbert, Roger J.H.; Clark, P. F.

2015-01-01

The brush-clawed shore crab is reported from the River Medway, Kent and the River Colne, Essex, England. These represent the first records of Hemigrapsus takanoi Asakura and Watanabe, 2005 from Great Britain. If H. takanoi becomes established in GB, it may pose a threat to populations of the native shore crab Carcinus maenas.

A new large oregoniid spider crab of the genus Pleistacantha Miers, 1879, from the Bay of Bengal, India (Crustacea, Brachyura, Majoidea

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Peter K. L. Ng

2017-11-01

Full Text Available A new species of deep-water oregoniid spider crab of the genus Pleistacantha Miers, 1879, is described from the Indian Ocean. The species is distinct in possessing a prominently inflated carapace in which the median parts of the branchial regions almost meet. It can also be distinguished from its closest congeners, P. moseleyi (Miers, 1885, P. pungens (Wood-Mason, in Wood-Mason and Alcock 1891, and P. ori Ahyong & Ng, 2007, in its more elongate and less spinose chelipeds and ambulatory legs, shorter third maxilliped, trapezoidal male pleon and a male first gonopod which is relatively stout with a short subdistal dorsal papilla.

Macrophthalmus graeffei A. Milne Edwards, 1873 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Macrophthalmidae: a new Indo-Pacific guest off Rhodes Island (SE Aegean Sea, Greece

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M.A. PANCUCCI-PAPADOPOULOU

2010-05-01

Full Text Available A new alien crab, the macrophthalmid Macrophthalmus graeffei, is reported from the eastern coastline of Rhodes Island. The species, of Indo-West Pacific origin, is known from muddy sediments up to about 80 m depth. In the Mediterranean, its presence has been observed along Levantine coasts as well as along the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea.Macrophthalmus graeffei increases to twelve the number of alien brachyurans present in the Hellenic SE Aegean Sea, ten of them having Indo-Pacific origin.

Feeding habits of the spider crab Libinia spinosa H. Milne Edwards, 1834 (Decapoda, Brachyura in Ubatuba bay, São Paulo, Brazil

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Samara de Paiva Barros

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The main goal of this study was the identification of the items of the diet of the L. spinosa, based on the stomach contents analysis. The crabs were obtained from Ubatuba region north-eastern shore of São Paulo State. In the laboratory, all the individuals were dissected, the stomach was retreated and fixed in 10% formaline. The alimentary items were identified under stereomicroscope and analysed by the method of Frequency of Occurrence. A total of 194 stomachs was analysed and nine alimentary items were obtained. Unindentified material was found in 98% of analysed stomach and poriferan were present in less then 1% of stomachs. These results pointed a diversified diet explored by this crab, as well as the employment of some different methods for food intake. This suggested that these crabs could occupy different position in the trophic chain.O objetivo deste trabalho é identificar os itens alimentares que compõem a dieta de L. spinosa, por meio da análise do conteúdo estomacal. Os caranguejos foram coletados no litoral norte paulista (23º25’S-45º00’W. No laboratório, todos indivíduos foram dissecados, os estômagos foram retirados e fixados em formol 10%. Os itens alimentares foram identificados sob estereomicroscópio, sendo que para a análise foi utilizado o método Freqüência de Ocorrência. Foram analisados 194 estômagos, nos quais foram encontrados nove itens alimentares. A maior freqüência foi para material não identificado, ocorrendo em 98% dos estômagos analisados e Porifera foi o item com a menor freqüência, ocorrendo em menos de 1% dos estômagos. Com base nos resultados obtidos, sugere-se que o caranguejo L. spinosa apresenta uma dieta diversificada, sugerindo a utilização de diferentes métodos para a obtenção de alimento e por conseqüência podendo ocupar vários níveis na cadeia trófica.

Population genetic structure and demographic history of the freshwater crab Potamon elbursi (Brachyura: Potamidae) from the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran

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Alireza Keikhosravi; Sara Fratini; Christoph D. Schubart

2015-01-01

Hydrographically separated populations of the freshwater crab Potamon elbursi Pretzmann, 1976 were genetically investigated to assess their local diversity and to reconstruct the possible role of Quaternary glaciations in shaping current diversity in the Alborz Mountains, northern Iran. A total of 61 specimens from six rivers were collected from the two different drainage systems of the Alborz Mountains, Namak Lake and the South Caspian watershed. A comparative analysis of a partial sequence ...

Population genetic structure and demographic history of the freshwater crab Potamon elbursi (Brachyura: Potamidae from the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran

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Alireza Keikhosravi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Hydrographically separated populations of the freshwater crab Potamon elbursi Pretzmann, 1976 were genetically investigated to assess their local diversity and to reconstruct the possible role of Quaternary glaciations in shaping current diversity in the Alborz Mountains, northern Iran. A total of 61 specimens from six rivers were collected from the two different drainage systems of the Alborz Mountains, Namak Lake and the South Caspian watershed. A comparative analysis of a partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene revealed relatively high overall haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity. In four populations, there is no association between the haplotype network and the geographical separation between drainages, whereas the remaining two populations consist of private haplotypes. Gene flow among rivers was estimated using pairwise differences of Φst; in almost all cases gene flow was significantly restricted, regardless of association to a particular river system. Surprisingly, the only exception was the pairwise comparison of two distant rivers belonging to different drainages; this lack of differentiation may be attributed to incomplete lineage sorting or secondary introduction events. The mismatch distribution analysis, together with the shape of the haplotype network and the nucleotide and haplotype diversity indices, indicates that the studied metapopulation show the signature of recent population bottlenecks followed by demographic or spatial expansion and dating back to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations. 

New records of xanthid crabs Atergatis roseus (Rüppell, 1830 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura from Iraqi coast, south of Basrah city, Iraq

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Khaled Khassaf Al-Khafaji

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Specimens of the The Brachyuran crab Atergatis roseus (Ruppell, 1830, were collected for first times from Iraqi coast, south Al-Faw, Basrah city, Iraq, in coast of northwest of Arabian Gulf. Morphological features and distribution pattern of this species are highlighted and a figure is provided. The material was mostly collected from the shallow subtidal and intertidal areas using trawl net and hand.

Population differentiation of the shore crab Carcinus maenas (Brachyura: Portunidae on the southwest English coast based on genetic and morphometric analyses

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Inês C. Silva

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Carcinus maenas has a planktonic larval phase which can potentially disperse over large distances. Consequently, larval transport is expected to play an important role in promoting gene flow and determining population structure. In the present study, population structuring on the southwest coast of England was analysed using molecular and morphometric approaches. Variation at eight microsatellite loci suggested that the individuals sampled within this region comprise a single genetic population and that gene flow among them is not restricted. Nevertheless, the FST values estimated across loci for all populations suggested that the Tamar population was significantly different from the Exe, Camel and Torridge populations. This differentiation is not explained by isolation by distance, and coastal hydrological events that are apparently influencing larval flux might be the cause of this pattern. Morphometric analysis was also performed. Analysis of carapace and chela shape variation using landmark-based geometric morphometrics revealed extensive morphological variability, as the multivariate analysis of variance showed significant morphometric differences among geographic groups for both sexes. Thus, the morphological differentiation found may be a plastic response to habitat-specific selection pressures.

NOTES ON THE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF Sudanonautes floweri(DE MAN, 1901; CRUSTACEA: BRACHYURA: POTAMOIDEA: POTAMONAUTIDAE IN RIVER OGBOMWEN, SOUTHERN NIGERIA

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FRANCIS O ARIMORO

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Investigation into some aspects of the biology and ecology of the freshwater crab, Sudanonautes floweri(De Man, 1901 in River Ogbomwen, Edo State, southern, Nigeria was carried out between February and July 2006. The study revealed that the crab species were widespread and abundant in the river. Abundance in terms of number and biomass was more during the wet season with at a peak in the months of June and July. The crab grew allometrically attaining a maximum total length and weight of 11.5 cm and 65 g respectively. The condition factor ranged from 8.60-9.45. These values did not vary with size and sex of the crab but showed seasonal variations. Females of Sudanonautes floweriwere more abundant although not significantly different from the expected 1:1 ratio. There were some sexually matured females with stages III gonad development. Fecundity estimate ranged from 400 to 650 eggs. The gonadosomatic index varied between 14.97 and 24.11%. Feeding habits varied slightly with size with larger sized crabs feeding on more and varied food particles. Generally, Sudanonautes flowerifed predominantly on detritus, crustaceans, fish, algae, filaments, diatoms and sand grains.

Abundance and distribution of Portunidae larval phases (Crustacea: Brachyura in the estuarine and coastal region of the Patos Lagoon, southern Brazil

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Rony Roberto Ramos Vieira

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The abundance and distribution of larval phases of the Portunidae found in the estuary of the Patos Lagoon and the coastal region were studied during two years (1995 and 1999. A conical net (165 cm long, 60 cm mouth, and 330 µm mesh equipped with a flowmeter was towed for three minutes at 2 knots at six stations within the estuary and four stations in the coastal region. Samplings were carried out on the surface and near the bottom. At each sampling location, the salinity and temperature were also recorded. In 1995, the zoeae of Arenaeus cribrarius (Lamarck, 1818, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 and Achelous spinicarpus Stimpson, 1871 were caught, resulting in a total abundance of 121.98 ind.100 m-3 (90.95 ind.100 m-3 on the surface and 31.03 ind.100 m-3 near the bottom. A total of 452.27 ind.100 m-3 were caught in the megalopa phase (13.49 ind.100 m-3 on the surface and 438.78 ind.100 m-3 near the bottom. In 1999, only zoeae of C. sapidus were caught, resulting in a total abundance of 419.78 ind.100 m-3 (386.98 ind.100 m-3 on the surface and 32.8 ind.100 m-3 near the bottom. Megalopae of these three species were caught, resulting in a total abundance of 179.91 ind.100 m-3 (25.38 ind.100 m-3 on surface and 154.53 ind.100 m-3 near the bottom. Summer was the season with the highest abundance of larvae in both years. During spring and summer, spawning was observed in the estuarine region of the Patos Lagoon.

The effect of salinity on larval development of Uca tangeri (Eydoux, 1835 (Brachyura: Ocypodidae and new findings of the zoeal morphology

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Eduardo D. Spivak

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate their tolerance to low salinities, zoeae of the fiddler crab Uca tangeri from the Rio San Pedro population (southwestern Spain were reared in the laboratory at 20ºC and at three salinities (16, 24 and 32. The zoeal development was completed at 24 and 32 but the crabs died as zoea I or zoea II, and very rarely as zoea III, at 16; tolerance to low salinities varied among clutches produced by different females. The duration of the first zoeal stage and of the complete zoeal development was shorter at 32. Our observations showed that the zoeae of U. tangeri could not tolerate retention in the mesohaline water of estuaries, and that export to oceanic waters would be optimal for their successful development. Survival at 24 suggests that larvae could also develop in polyhaline conditions if they were retained in the ocean-estuary interface. The presence of an additional zoeal stage (zoea VI was observed in some individuals and associated with unfavourable combinations of temperature and salinity. In addition, some previously omitted aspects of zoeal morphology were re-described and illustrated, providing new evidence which supports the basal position of this species in a proto-Atlantic origin of the genus Uca. It is proposed that the differences between Uca tangeri and the rest of the Uca species should be highlighted, and that it should be placed in its own genus as Afruca tangeri.

Inorganic Biominerals in Crustaceans are Structurally Independent of Organic Framework

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Mergelsberg, S. T.; Michel, F. M.; Mukhopadhyay, B.; Dove, P. M.

2015-12-01

Biomineralization of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as crystalline calcite or amorphous CaCO3 (ACC) occurs in the exoskeletons of all crustaceans. These cuticles are complex composites of inorganic mineral and organic macromolecules with highly divergent morphologies that are adapted to the extreme variations in environmental pressures within their diverse ecological niches. The remarkable variations and adaptations that form, infer a highly efficient and regulated mechanism for biomineralization that is most likely orchestrated by a myriad of biomacromolecules (Ziegler A 2012). The roles of these peptides and organic metabolites during CaCO3 biomineralization are not well understood. In part, this is due to a lack of knowledge of crustacean homeostasis. In a step toward understanding cuticle mineralization in crustaceans, this study asks: Which molecules affect biomineralization? Do the biomineral-active molecules vary greatly between species and body parts? Recent studies of polysaccharide controls on mineralization also raise the question of whether small heterogeneities in chitin, the most abundant biopolymer of the composite, could be primarily responsible for differences in CaCO3 crystallinity. This study used a novel spectroscopic approach to characterize the mineral and organic components of exoskeletons from three Malacostraca organisms — American Lobster (Homarus americanus), Dungeness Crab (Metacarcinus magister), and Red Rock Crab (Cancer productus). Using high-energy x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, the cuticles of three major body parts from these organisms were analyzed for the structure and bulk chemistry of its chitin and CaCO3 components. The findings indicate that Raman spectroscopy provides adequate resolution to show that crystallinity of chitin and the CaCO3 mineral component are chemically independent of each other, although their crystallinities co-vary for Brachyura species (Dungeness and Red Rock Crabs). Insights from this study

Ontogeny of osmoregulation in embryos of intertidal crabs (Hemigrapsus sexdentatus and H. crenulatus, Grapsidae, Brachyura): putative involvement of the embryonic dorsal organ.

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Seneviratna, Deepani; Taylor, H H

2006-04-01

This study examined whether the existence of hyperosmotic internal fluids in embryos of euryhaline crabs (Hemigrapsus sexdentatus and H. crenulatus) in dilute seawater reflects osmotic isolation due to impermeability of the egg envelope, as proposed for other decapods, or active osmoregulation. When ovigerous crabs with eggs at gastrula stage were transferred from 100% seawater (osmolality 1000 mmol kg(-1)) to 50% seawater, embryogenesis and hatching of zoea were completed normally, but were delayed. Hatching failed if the transfer to 50% seawater occurred before gastrulation, and embryogenesis was abnormal in 25% seawater. In 100% seawater, embryos at all stages were internally hyperosmotic by 150-250 mmol kg(-1). On transfer to 50% seawater, osmolality initially decreased but remained 200-350 mmol kg(-1) hyperosmotic to the medium for several weeks until hatching. High efflux rates of tritium-labelled water (t((1/2)) 16-75 min) and (22)Na (t(1/2) 109-374 min) from H. crenulatus embryos were inconsistent with the osmotic isolation hypothesis. It is concluded that post-gastrula embryos were actively hyper-osmoregulating. The diffusional water permeability of the embryos decreased during development while the sodium efflux rate increased 10-fold. Very rapidly exchanging pools of water and sodium (t(1/2) a few seconds to minutes) probably corresponded to peri-embryonic fluid and implied that the egg envelope was a negligible barrier to diffusion of water and salts. Higher Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activities in late embryos of H. crenulatus incubated in 50% seawater than in embryos incubated in full strength seawater were consistent with an acclimation response. An area of the embryonic surface located over the yolk in the region of the embryonic dorsal organ stained with AgNO(3). Staining appeared at gastrulation, persisted throughout development and was lost at hatching. Deposits of AgCl between the outer and inner membranes, identified by X-ray microanalysis, suggest that the dorsal organ was a site of chloride extrusion. A model for osmoregulation in post-gastrula embryos is proposed: osmotic uptake of water is balanced by excretion of water and salts via the dorsal organ and salt loss is balanced by active uptake over the general embryonic ectoderm.

First occurrence of the crab Calappa nitida Holthuis, 1958 (Brachyura, Calappidae, Calappinae on the coast of the state of Piauí, Brazil

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Lissandra Corrêa Fernandes-Góes

2007-03-01

Full Text Available The present study reports a female of Calappa nitida found at a water-pump station on a shrimp farm, in a mangrove located in Cajueiro da Praia, state of Piauí, within the Parnaíba River Delta Environmental Preservation Area. Although C. nitida occurs in northern and northeastern Brazil, this first record from Piauí fills one of the gaps in its known range.

Distribution patterns of the crab Ucides cordatus (Brachyura, Ucididae) at different spatial scales in subtropical mangroves of Paranaguá Bay (southern Brazil)

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Sandrini-Neto, L.; Lana, P. C.

2012-06-01

Heterogeneity in the distribution of organisms occurs at a range of spatial scales, which may vary from few centimeters to hundreds of kilometers. The exclusion of small-scale variability from routine sampling designs may confound comparisons at larger scales and lead to inconsistent interpretation of data. Despite its ecological and social-economic importance, little is known about the spatial structure of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus in the southwest Atlantic. Previous studies have commonly compared densities at relatively broad scales, relying on alleged distribution patterns (e.g., mangroves of distinct composition and structure). We have assessed variability patterns of U. cordatus in mangroves of Paranaguá Bay at four levels of spatial hierarchy (10 s km, km, 10 s m and m) using a nested ANOVA and variance components measures. The potential role of sediment parameters, pneumatophore density, and organic matter content in regulating observed patterns was assessed by multiple regression models. Densities of total and non-commercial size crabs varied mostly at 10 s m to km scales. Densities of commercial size crabs differed at the scales of 10 s m and 10 s km. Variance components indicated that small-scale variation was the most important, contributing up to 70% of the crab density variability. Multiple regression models could not explain the observed variations. Processes driving differences in crab abundance were not related to the measured variables. Small-scale patchy distribution has direct implications to current management practices of U. cordatus. Future studies should consider processes operating at smaller scales, which are responsible for a complex mosaic of patches within previously described patterns.

Relative growth in the fiddler crab Uca uruguayensis Nobili, 1901 (Brachyura, Ocypodidae from Garças River mangrove, Guaratuba Bay, southern Brazil

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Salise Brandt Martins

Full Text Available A study on the relative growth was carried out in a population of the fiddler crab Uca uruguayensis from the mangrove of Garças River, Guaratuba Bay, Paraná State, southern Brazil. The dimensions analyzed were the length of the major chela (LMC of males and width of the abdomen (AW of females, because they are related to reproductive activities of waving (males and egg incubation (females. The cheliped handedness in males was also analyzed. The LMC was measured in 480 males, the AW in 566 females, and all crabs had the carapace width (CW measured that was considered as the reference dimension for both sexes. The inflection point in the graphs between each the dimensions and CW was calculated with the aid of the software REGRANS. The CW ranged from 2.33 to 8.33 mm in males and from 1.65 to 7.79 mm in females. The relationship between CW and LMC showed an inflection point at 4.14 mm CW among males, and between CW and AW at 3.52 mm CW among females. The allometric growth was positive for both dimensions throughout the entire ontogeny of both sexes, before and after the puberty. The equations describing the relationship between CW and LMC in males were: logLMC = - 0.695960 + 1.72.logCW for juveniles and logLMC = - 1.212513 + 2.5.logCW for adults. In females, the equations were logAW = - 0.519071 + 1.02.logCW and logAW = - 0.902874 + 1.73.logCW, respectively for juveniles and adults. The population of U. uruguayensis from Guaratuba Bay is composed of the smallest crabs, and it also attains morphological sexual maturity at smallest CW. The frequency of occurrence of right and left handed males was statistically the same (1:1 as in most population of fiddler crabs.

ESTUDIO DE LA VARIACIÓN MORFOLÓGICA DEL GONOPODO DE STRENGERIANA MANIFORMIS (BRACHYURA: PSEUDOTHELPHUSIDAE MEDIANTE APLICACIÓN DE MORFOMETRÍA GEOMÉTRICA

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PEDRAZA MANUEL

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Se utiliza la morfometría geométrica para determinar la variación morfológicadel primer gonopodo del macho en especímenes de Strengeriana maniformis. Seexaminaron 35 machos de la colección de Crustáceos del Instituto de CienciasNaturales y 9 machos de la colección del Museo de la Salle. El estudio morfométricose centró en el ápice y el proceso mesial del gonopodo izquierdo; en su desarrollose utilizaron algunos de los programas de la serie TPS: tpsUtil, tpsDig, tpsRelw,tpsRegr y el Palaeontological Statistics software package (PAST. El análisispermitió determinar que la parte más variable del gonopodo corresponde al procesomesial, y la menos variable a la porción distal del lóbulo mesial. Se estableció que lavariación en la forma del gonopodo es independiente del tamaño del espécimen y dela población a la cual pertenece. Se pudo descartar que la contaminación con metalespesados sea el agente causante de la variación.

ESTUDIO DE LA VARIACIÓN MORFOLÓGICA DEL GONOPODO DE STRENGERIANA MANIFORMIS (BRACHYURA: PSEUDOTHELPHUSIDAE) MEDIANTE APLICACIÓN DE MORFOMETRÍA GEOMÉTRICA

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PEDRAZA, MANUEL; R. CAMPOS, MARTHA

2007-01-01

Se utiliza la morfometría geométrica para determinar la variación morfológica del primer gonopodo del macho en especímenes de Strengeriana maniformis. Se examinaron 35 machos de la colección de Crustáceos del Instituto de Ciencias Naturales y 9 machos de la colección del Museo de la Salle. El estudio morfométrico se centró en el ápice y el proceso mesial del gonopodo izquierdo; en su desarrollo se utilizaron algunos de los programas de la serie TPS: tpsUtil, tpsDig, tpsRelw, tpsRegr y el Pala...

First record of the Two-striped Box Crab Calappa bilineata Ng, Lai & Aungtonya, 2002 (Brachyura: Calappidae from St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh

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Muntasir Akash

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As part of survey of a BS (hons study tour conducted by the Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, two specimens of box crab were caught with a beach seine net from the northern beach in front of the Hotel Prince Heaven (20038’07.50”N & 92019’34.68”E on new moon of 07th December 2012.  Those box crabs were identified as the Two Striped Box Crab Calappa bilineata Ng, Lai & Aungtonya, 2002 which is turned out as a new record for Bangladesh and a record for the northern part of the Bay of Bengal. 

Results of the global conservation assessment of the freshwater crabs (Brachyura, Pseudothelphusidae and Trichodactylidae: The Neotropical region, with an update on diversity

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Neil Cumberlidge

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The freshwater crabs of the Neotropics comprise 311 species in two families (Pseudothelphusidae and Trichodactylidae and one or both of these families are found in all of the countries in the Neotropical region (except for Chile and some of the Caribbean islands. Colombia (102 species, 81% endemic and Mexico (67 species, 95% endemic are the biodiversity hotspots of freshwater crab species richness and country-level endemism for this region. The results of the IUCN Red List conservation assessments show that 34% of pseudothelphusids and 10% of trichodactylids have an elevated risk of extinction, 29% of pseudothelphusids and 75% of trichodactylids are not at-risk (Least Concern, and although none are actually extinct, 56% of pseudothelphusids and 17% of trichodactylids are too poorly known to assess (Data Deficient. Colombia (14 species, Venezuela (7 species, Mexico (6 species, and Ecuador (5 species are the countries with the highest number of threatened species of Neotropical freshwater crabs. The majority of threatened species are restricted-range semiterrestrial endemics living in habitats subjected to deforestation, alteration of drainage patterns, and pollution. This underlines the need to prioritize and develop conservation measures before species decline to levels from which they cannot recover. These results represent a baseline that can be used to design strategies to save threatened Neotropical species of freshwater crabs.

A new species of decorator crabs, genus Menaethiops Alcock, 1895 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Majoidea: Epialthidae), from Abu-Musa Island, Persian Gulf, Iran.

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Naderloo, Reza

2015-03-02

Menaethiops abumusa n. sp. is closely similar to M. bicornis Alcock, 1985, and M. gadaniensis Kazmi & Tirmizi, 1999, regarding the relatively contiguous rostral spines. The new species is easily distinguishable from its two congeners by having distinctly round angles of orbital eaves and distally divergent rostral spines. Whereas in M. bicornis, and M. gadaniensis, the angles of orbital eaves are anteriorly produced and rostral spines are closely attached to each other along their entire length.  Other morphological differences include the carapace spination/granulation, basal antennal segments, and morphology of the male's first gonopod. Menaethiops gadaniensis was described from Gadani, Pakistan and was only known from the type locality, but is here recorded for the first time from the Gulf of Oman.

Ultrastructure of the spermatozoa of Corystes cassivelaunus (Corystidae), Platepistoma nanum (Cancridae) and Cancer pagurus (Cancridae) supports recognition of the Corystoidea (Crustacea, Brachyura, Heterotremata)

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Jamieson, B. G. M.; Guinot, D.; Tudge, C. C.; Richer de Forges, B.

1997-03-01

A combination of characters, not individually unique, possessed by the corystid, Corystes cassivelaunus, and the two cancrids, Platepistoma nanum and Cancer pagurus, defines a corystoid-type of spermatozoon: the basally bulbous, anteriorly narrowing perforatorium, the extent of this almost to the plasma membrane through a widely perforate operculum, and the simple inner acrosome zone, lacking an acrosome ray zone. The sperm of the two cancrids are closely similar, that of the corystid differing, for instance, in the less pointed, and less tapered, form of the perforatorium. This relative uniformity of spermatozoal ultrastructure in the cancrid+corystid assemblage so far investigated supports inclusion of the two families in the superfamily Corystoidea by Guinot (1978). The combination of perforation of the operculum and absence of an acrosome ray zone (at least in a clearly recognizable form) are features of the Potamidae which possibly indicate that the latter family, modified for a freshwater existence, is related to the cancrid+corystid assemblage. Some elongation of the centrioles, apparent at least in Corystes, may be a further link with potamids in which they are greatly elongated. The coenospermial spermatophores of cancridoids are a notable difference from the cleistospermia of potamids; but the latter is probably an apomorphic modification for fertilization biology.

Multi-level biological responses in Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) (Brachyura, Ucididae) as indicators of conservation status in mangrove areas from the western atlantic.

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Duarte, Luis Felipe de Almeida; Souza, Caroline Araújo de; Nobre, Caio Rodrigues; Pereira, Camilo Dias Seabra; Pinheiro, Marcelo Antonio Amaro

2016-11-01

There is a global lack of knowledge on tropical ecotoxicology, particularly in terms of mangrove areas. These areas often serve as nurseries or homes for several animal species, including Ucides cordatus (the uçá crab). This species is widely distributed, is part of the diet of human coastal communities, and is considered to be a sentinel species due to its sensitivity to toxic xenobiotics in natural environments. Sublethal damages to benthic populations reveal pre-pathological conditions, but discussions of the implications are scarce in the literature. In Brazil, the state of São Paulo offers an interesting scenario for ecotoxicology and population studies: it is easy to distinguish between mangroves that are well preserved and those which are significantly impacted by human activity. The objectives of this study were to provide the normal baseline values for the frequency of Micronucleated cells (MN‰) and for neutral red retention time (NRRT) in U. cordatus at pristine locations, as well to indicate the conservation status of different mangrove areas using a multi-level biological response approach in which these biomarkers and population indicators (condition factor and crab density) are applied in relation to environmental quality indicators (determined via information in the literature and solid waste volume). A mangrove area with no effects of impact (areas of reference or pristine areas) presented a mean value of MN‰120min, values which were assumed as baseline values representing genetic and physiological normality. A significant correlation was found between NRRT and MN, with both showing similar and effective results for distinguishing between different mangrove areas according to conservation status. Furthermore, crab density was lower in more impacted mangrove areas, a finding which also reflects the effects of sublethal damage; this finding was not determined by condition factor measurements. Multi-level biological responses were able to reflect the conservation status of the mangrove areas studied using information on guideline values of MN‰, NRRT, and density of the uçá crab in order to categorize three levels of human impacts in mangrove areas: PNI (probable null impact); PLI (probable low impact); and PHI (probable high impact). Results confirm the success of U. cordatus species' multi-level biological responses in diagnosing threats to mangrove areas. Therefore, this species represents an effective tool in studies on mangrove conservation statuses in the Western Atlantic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new species of trogloplacine crab of the genus Australocarcinus Davie, 1988 from a freshwater stream in Mahé, Seychelles (Crustacea, Brachyura, Chasmocarcinidae

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Peter K. L. Ng

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A new species of freshwater chasmocarcinid crab, Australocarcinus insperatus sp. n., is described from the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. This is the first record of the genus and the subfamily Trogloplacinae Guinot, 1986, from the Indian Ocean, with all other members previously recorded from Australia, New Britain, New Caledonia, and Palau in the Pacific Ocean. The disjunct distribution of Australocarcinus is unexpected considering all trogoplacines are believed to practice direct development, lacking free-swimming larval stages. The new species is morphologically most similar to A. riparius Davie, 1988, from Queensland, Australia, but can be distinguished from its three congeners on the basis of the structures of its carapace, ambulatory legs and male first gonopod.

A new species of freshwater crab of the genus Oziotelphusa Müller, 1887 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from Tamil Nadu, southern India.

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Raj, Smrithy; Kumar, Appukuttannair Biju; Ng, Peter K L

2017-12-10

A new species of gecarcinucid freshwater crab of the genus Oziotelphusa Müller, 1887, is described from stationary or slow-flowing bodies of water in Keeriparai near Nagercoil, in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. Oziotelphusa ravi, new species, is distinguished from its congeners by several distinct characters: the median tooth of the posterior margin of epistome forms a distinct bilobed tip in frontal view, the male pleonal somite 6 is narrowly trapezoidal and slightly wider than long with the lateral margins concave, the terminal segment of the male first gonopod is distinctly bent laterally (along the longitudinal axis) at an angle of about 45°, and the proximal part of the outer margin of the subterminal segment of the male first gonopod has a prominent deep concavity.

First record and evidence of an established population of the North American mud crab Dyspanopeus sayi (Brachyura: Heterotremata: Panopeidae in the western Mediterranean

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Christoph D. Schubart

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The panopeid crab Dyspanopeus sayi (Smith, 1869 is reported here from the Ebro Delta (Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Originally endemic to the Atlantic coast of North America, D. sayiz was involuntarily introduced into Britain, France and the Netherlands, and into the Adriatic and Black Sea within the last thirty years. Here we provide the first record of this species from the western Mediterranean Sea. Occurrences of ovigerous females at different localities of the delta and in different years provide evidence that the population is well established. Mitochondrial DNA confirms the identity of the species and indicates that the introduced population consists of at least three female lineages. The first zoeal stage of D. sayi was obtained in the laboratory from an ovigerous female captured in August 2010 with embryos in an advanced stage of development. The morphology of the zoea I is described here in detail and is similar to the one previously reported for native populations.

New distribution records of the gall crab Opecarcinus cathyae van der Meij, 2014 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Cryptochiridae) from the Red Sea, Maldives and Japan

KAUST Repository

Meij, Sancia E. T.

2016-11-12

The gall crab Opecarcinus cathyae van der Meij, 2014 has been reported from various localities in Indonesia and Malaysia. Recent surveys in the Red Sea, Maldives and Japan yielded additional specimens of O. cathyae, considerably expanding the known distribution range of this species to the east and west. The identity of O. cathyae was confirmed based on COI sequence data, revealing identical haplotypes for the Red Sea, Maldivian and Japanese material and three haplotypes in the Indonesian material. Opecarcinus cathyae has one of the widest known recorded distribution ranges for all gall crab species.

New distribution records of the gall crab Opecarcinus cathyae van der Meij, 2014 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Cryptochiridae) from the Red Sea, Maldives and Japan

KAUST Repository

Meij, Sancia E. T.; Benzoni, Francesca; Berumen, Michael L.; Naruse, Tohru

2016-01-01

The gall crab Opecarcinus cathyae van der Meij, 2014 has been reported from various localities in Indonesia and Malaysia. Recent surveys in the Red Sea, Maldives and Japan yielded additional specimens of O. cathyae, considerably expanding the known distribution range of this species to the east and west. The identity of O. cathyae was confirmed based on COI sequence data, revealing identical haplotypes for the Red Sea, Maldivian and Japanese material and three haplotypes in the Indonesian material. Opecarcinus cathyae has one of the widest known recorded distribution ranges for all gall crab species.

Larval development of Notolopas brasiliensis Miers, 1886 (Brachyura: Majoidea: Pisidae described from laboratory reared material and a reappraisal of the characters of Pisidae

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William Santana

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The complete larval stages of Notolopas brasiliensis are described from laboratory reared material, with emphasis on the external morphological features of Majoidea, and compare the morphology of N. brasiliensis with other genera of Pisidae. Larval development of N. brasiliensis consists of two zoeal stages and one megalopa. The duration mean of each zoeal stage was 4.2 ± 1.0 days for Zoea I and 3.8 ± 0.7 days for Zoea II, the megalopa instar appearing 8.1 ± 0.4 days after hatching. The characters previously used to define larval forms of Pisidae are either symplesiomorphic or potentially highly homoplastic. As well, was observed that there are no common sets of larval characters that would define Pisidae nowadays. However, was showed that only a combination of characters could differentiate Notolopas from other pisid genera.O completo desenvolvimento larval de Notolopas brasiliensis é descrito, a partir de material criado em laboratório, com ênfase na morfologia externa de Majoidea e comparado aos demais gêneros de Pisidae. O desenvolvimento larval de N. brasiliensis consiste em dois estágios de zoea e um de megalopa. A duração media de cada estágio foi de 4.2 ± 1.0 dias para a Zoea I e 3.8 ± 0.7 dias para a Zoea II, a megalopa aparece entre 8.1 ± 0.4 dias após a eclosão. Os caracteres previamente utilizados para definir as formas larvais de Pisidae ou são simplesiomórficos ou altamente homoplásticos. Foi observado que não existe um conjunto de caracteres capazes de definir Pisidae até o presente.Contudo foi mostrado que uma combinação de caracteres pode ser utilizada para diferenciar Notolopas dos demais gêneros da família.

Biologia e ecologia de crustáceos decápodos (Caridea e Brachyura) do infralitoral não consolidado da costa sudeste do Brasil

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Pereira, Rafaela Torres [UNESP

2014-01-01

The specimens of Nematopalaemon schmitti were captured in southeastern Brazil from 2008 to 2011, for reproductive output (RO) and fecundity analysis of species. Changes in the egg development associated to the ovary maturation of ovigerous female were also analyzed in order to verify possible synchronous relationship between them. Obtained ovigerous females were measured (carapace length [CL]) and analyzed as the stage of development of their ovaries and eggs. The RO was calculated based on d...

El cangrejo litoral del este asiático Hemigrapsus sanguineus (Brachyura: Varunidae) en el mar Mediterráneo: una introducción humana independiente

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Schubart, Christoph D.

2003-01-01

Un ejemplar macho adulto del cangrejo del este Asiático Hemigrapsus sanguineus (de Haan, 1835) fue recolectado en agosto de 2001 en el norte del Mar Adriático en la costa noroeste de la península de Ístria. Este hallazgo constituye la primera cita de H. sanguineus (y del género Hemigrapsus) en el Mar Mediterráneo. Previamente, H. sanguineus ha invadido las costas atlánticas de Norteamérica y de Francia occidental, mientras que la especie congenérica del este Asiático, Hemigrapsus penicillatus...

On one new genus and three new species of freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae and Grapsidae) from Lanjak-Entimau, Sarawak, East Malaysia, Borneo

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ng, P.K.L.

1995-01-01

The freshwater crabs obtained from the Lanjak-Entimau area in Sarawak, East Malaysia, Borneo, are reported upon. One new genus (Ibanum) and two new species of Potamidae (Ibanum aethes and Isolapotamon stuebingi) and a new species of Grapsidae (Geosesarma katibas) are described. The identity of

Allometric growth pattern, sexual dimorphism and size at the onset of sexual maturity in Opusia indica (Brachyura: Ocypodoidea: Camptandriidae from mangrove areas of Pakistan

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Noor Us Saher

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Size at sexual maturity and patterns of somatic growth are important aspects of reproductive history of crab. The main purpose of this study is to provide an estimate for the onset of morphological sexual maturity in mangrove crab, Opusia indica from a population located in Korangi creek intertidal mud flat (Karachi, Pakistan based on relative growth. The crabs were monthly collected through quadrat method from March 2001 to February 2002. A total of 1702 crabs was obtained, of which 764 were males, 939 were female. The morphometric measurement of carapace, abdomen, cheliped and male gonopod was related to carapace width. Based on carapace width males were significantly larger than female, indicating sexual dimorphism. The size at onset of sexual maturity in males was estimated as 5.51 mm carapace width and 5.3 mm carapace width in females. The positive allometric growth of female abdominal width were likely related to the incubation process.

DIRS1-like retrotransposons are widely distributed among Decapoda and are particularly present in hydrothermal vent organisms

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Bonnivard Eric

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Transposable elements are major constituents of eukaryote genomes and have a great impact on genome structure and stability. Considering their mutational abilities, TEs can contribute to the genetic diversity and evolution of organisms. Knowledge of their distribution among several genomes is an essential condition to study their dynamics and to better understand their role in species evolution. DIRS1-like retrotransposons are a particular group of retrotransposons according to their mode of transposition that implies a tyrosine recombinase. To date, they have been described in a restricted number of species in comparison with the LTR retrotransposons. In this paper, we determine the distribution of DIRS1-like elements among 25 decapod species, 10 of them living in hydrothermal vents that correspond to particularly unstable environments. Results Using PCR approaches, we have identified 15 new DIRS1-like families in 15 diverse decapod species (shrimps, lobsters, crabs and galatheid crabs. Hydrothermal organisms show a particularly great diversity of DIRS1-like elements with 5 families characterized among Alvinocarididae shrimps and 3 in the galatheid crab Munidopsis recta. Phylogenic analyses show that these elements are divergent toward the DIRS1-like families previously described in other crustaceans and arthropods and form a new clade called AlDIRS1. At larger scale, the distribution of DIRS1-like retrotransposons appears more or less patchy depending on the taxa considered. Indeed, a scattered distribution can be observed in the infraorder Brachyura whereas all the species tested in infraorders Caridea and Astacidea harbor some DIRS1-like elements. Conclusion Our results lead to nearly double both the number of DIRS1-like elements described to date, and the number of species known to harbor these ones. In this study, we provide the first degenerate primers designed to look specifically for DIRS1-like retrotransposons. They

DNA barcoding unveils skate (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae) species diversity in 'ray' products sold across Ireland and the UK.

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Griffiths, Andrew Mark; Miller, Dana D; Egan, Aaron; Fox, Jennifer; Greenfield, Adam; Mariani, Stefano

2013-01-01

Skates are widely consumed across the globe, but many large species are subject to considerable concern regarding their conservation and management. Within Europe such issues have recently driven policy changes so that, for the first time, reports of skate landings now have to be made under species-specific names. Total allowable catches have also been established for many groups, which have been set to zero for a number of the most vulnerable species (e.g., Dipturus batis, Raja undulata and Rostoraja alba). Whilst accurate species identification has become an important issue for landings, the sale of skates is still usually made under a blanket term of "skate" or "ray". The matter of identifying species of skate is further complicated by their morphologically conservative nature and the fact that they are commercially valued for their wings. Thus, before sale their bodies are usually discarded (i.e., "winged") and often skinned, making morphological identification impossible. For the first time, DNA barcoding (of the mitochondrial COI gene) was applied to samples of skate wings from retail outlets across the British Isles, providing insight into which species are sold for consumption. A total of 98 wing samples were analysed, revealing that six species were sold; blonde ray (Raja brachyura), spotted ray (Raja montagui), thornback ray (Raja clavata), cuckoo ray (Leucoraja naevus) small-eyed ray (Raja microocellata) and shagreen ray (Leucoraja fullonica). Statistical testing demonstrated that there were significant differences in the species sold in the distinct retail groups which suggests complex drivers behind the patterns of sale in skates. The results also indicate that endangered species are not commonly being passed on to consumers. In addition, the practice of selling skate wings under ambiguous labels is highlighted as it makes it extremely difficult for consumers to exercise a right to avoid species of conservation concern. Interestingly, a single retailer

DNA barcoding unveils skate (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae) species diversity in ‘ray’ products sold across Ireland and the UK

Science.gov (United States)

Egan, Aaron; Fox, Jennifer; Greenfield, Adam; Mariani, Stefano

2013-01-01

Skates are widely consumed across the globe, but many large species are subject to considerable concern regarding their conservation and management. Within Europe such issues have recently driven policy changes so that, for the first time, reports of skate landings now have to be made under species-specific names. Total allowable catches have also been established for many groups, which have been set to zero for a number of the most vulnerable species (e.g., Dipturus batis, Raja undulata and Rostoraja alba). Whilst accurate species identification has become an important issue for landings, the sale of skates is still usually made under a blanket term of “skate” or “ray”. The matter of identifying species of skate is further complicated by their morphologically conservative nature and the fact that they are commercially valued for their wings. Thus, before sale their bodies are usually discarded (i.e., “winged”) and often skinned, making morphological identification impossible. For the first time, DNA barcoding (of the mitochondrial COI gene) was applied to samples of skate wings from retail outlets across the British Isles, providing insight into which species are sold for consumption. A total of 98 wing samples were analysed, revealing that six species were sold; blonde ray (Raja brachyura), spotted ray (Raja montagui), thornback ray (Raja clavata), cuckoo ray (Leucoraja naevus) small-eyed ray (Raja microocellata) and shagreen ray (Leucoraja fullonica). Statistical testing demonstrated that there were significant differences in the species sold in the distinct retail groups which suggests complex drivers behind the patterns of sale in skates. The results also indicate that endangered species are not commonly being passed on to consumers. In addition, the practice of selling skate wings under ambiguous labels is highlighted as it makes it extremely difficult for consumers to exercise a right to avoid species of conservation concern. Interestingly, a

DNA barcoding unveils skate (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae species diversity in ‘ray’ products sold across Ireland and the UK

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Andrew Mark Griffiths

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Skates are widely consumed across the globe, but many large species are subject to considerable concern regarding their conservation and management. Within Europe such issues have recently driven policy changes so that, for the first time, reports of skate landings now have to be made under species-specific names. Total allowable catches have also been established for many groups, which have been set to zero for a number of the most vulnerable species (e.g., Dipturus batis, Raja undulata and Rostoraja alba. Whilst accurate species identification has become an important issue for landings, the sale of skates is still usually made under a blanket term of “skate” or “ray”. The matter of identifying species of skate is further complicated by their morphologically conservative nature and the fact that they are commercially valued for their wings. Thus, before sale their bodies are usually discarded (i.e., “winged” and often skinned, making morphological identification impossible. For the first time, DNA barcoding (of the mitochondrial COI gene was applied to samples of skate wings from retail outlets across the British Isles, providing insight into which species are sold for consumption. A total of 98 wing samples were analysed, revealing that six species were sold; blonde ray (Raja brachyura, spotted ray (Raja montagui, thornback ray (Raja clavata, cuckoo ray (Leucoraja naevus small-eyed ray (Raja microocellata and shagreen ray (Leucoraja fullonica. Statistical testing demonstrated that there were significant differences in the species sold in the distinct retail groups which suggests complex drivers behind the patterns of sale in skates. The results also indicate that endangered species are not commonly being passed on to consumers. In addition, the practice of selling skate wings under ambiguous labels is highlighted as it makes it extremely difficult for consumers to exercise a right to avoid species of conservation concern

External factors determining breeding season in the red mangrove crab Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille (Crustacea, Brachyura, Grapsidae on the São Paulo State northern coast, Brazil

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Cobo Valter José

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This study evaluated the influence of the water and air temperatures, pluviosity and photoperiod on the breeding season of Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803, in Ubatuba littoral, southeastern Brazilian coast. Monthly collections were conducted out from January/95 to December/96 in an estuarine area from 23º29'10"-23º29'45"S to 45º09'10"-45º10'00"W. Water and air temperature variation showed the highest correlation coefficient with the frequency of ovigerous females, r² = 0.73 and 0.68, respectively. However, an analysis of the set of environmental variables, revealed the photoperiod as the factor of highest association with the ovigerous frequency (r² = 0.68. This degree of association allow us to suggest that the breeding season duration of G. cruentata might have some variations over different latitudes, and such results could be quite diverse in populations from different latitudes.

Garthambrus, a new genus of deep water parthenopid crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) from the Indo-Pacific, with description of a new species from the Seychelles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ng, P.K.L.

1996-01-01

A new genus of parthenopid crab, Garthambrus gen. nov., characterised by a broad carapace with strongly raised branchial and gastric regions, distinctive rostrum, sub-cylindrical ambulatory meri and a long distal segment of the second male pleopod, is established for six deep water species from

Comparison of three quick methods to estimate crab size in the land crabs Cardisoma guanhumi Latreille, 1825 and Ucides cordatus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Gecarcinidae and Ucididae

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Carlos Alberto Carmona-Suárez

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Quick, reliable and non destructive methods are necessary to estimate size structure on commercial land crabs, in order to acquire relevant information concerning the health of their populations. Cardisoma guanhumi and Ucides cordatus are two land crabs that are exploited at a high scale and also in an artisan way in the Caribbean area and in the coasts of Brazil, which populations are endangered due to uncontrolled exploitation. The purpose of this work is to provide various methods to estimate indirectly crab body size. Sampling was carried out in Carenero (C. guanhumi and Cumaná (U. cordatus (Venezuela. For each species, three methods were used to measure burrow diameter (Vernier, internal spring caliper and photograph, and these were correlated with real body size of the crabs. Model II linear regression analyzes, i.e. Ordinary Least Squares and Mayor Axis, were used to build and test the performance of forecasting models. Cardisoma guanhumi showed a high bivariate data dispersion using Vernier and photo measuring methods, increasing these towards larger animals. Less dispersion was achieved with the spring caliper method; this resulted in the most accurate measurements of indirectly estimated body size in C. guanhumi (r²= 0.61, whereas Vernier measurements were the least precise. On the other hand, all three methods gave reliable estimates for U. cordatus, being the Vernier method the most accurate (r²= 0.71. However, in both species, all forecasting equations overestimated the size of smaller crabs (those below the mean but underestimated the size of larger crabs. Nevertheless, all three methods were statistically significant for each of the species, and looking at the above mentioned underand overestimations, they can serve as reliable and fast non-destructive tools to be used by resource managers and field biologists to acquire size structure information concerning these two species. Vernier and internal spring caliper methods are recommended for relative small sampling areas, while photo method is suggested to be used in very extensive sampling regionsPara la estimación de la estructura de tamaños en cangrejos terrestres comerciales y la obtención de información relevante para su manejo, es necesario utilizar métodos rápidos, confiables y no destructivos. Cardisoma guanhumi y Ucides cordatus son dos cangrejos terrestres que son explotados comercialmente en el Caribe y en Brasil. El propósito de este trabajo es suministrar métodos indirectos para la estimación del tamaño del caparazón de los cangrejos y por consiguiente, de la estructura de tallas. Los muestreos se llevaron a cabo en Carenero (C. guanhumi y en Cumaná (U. cordatus (Venezuela. Se utilizaron tres métodos para estimar el diámetro de sus madrigueras: Vernier, compás y fotografía. Estos se correlacionaron con el tamaño real del cangrejo. Se aplicó el análisis de regresión Ordinary Least Squares Model II y la capacidad de predicción se probó utilizando el modelo II Mayor Axis para las regresiones. Cardisoma guanhumi mostró una fuerte dispersión de sus datos en los métodos de Vernier y fotografía. Menos dispersión se obtuvo con el método del compás y fue el más preciso (r²= 0.61. Para U. cordatus las medidas con Vernier fueron la más adecuadas (r²= 0.71. Sin embargo los tres métodos fueron confiables. Los diferentes métodos mostraron ventajas y desventajas y dependerá del que aplique los métodos, decidir cuál será el más adecuado para sus propósitos

The identity of the semiterrestrial crab Terrathelphusa kuchingensis (Nobili, 1901) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae), with descriptions of four new species from southwestern Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia.

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Grinang, Jongkar; Ng, Peter K L

2015-04-10

Four new species of semiterrestrial gecarcinucid crabs are described from limestone and sandstone habitats in southwestern Sarawak, Malaysia: Terrathelphusa aglaia n. sp., T. cerina n. sp., T. kundong n. sp., and T. mas n. sp. The taxonomy of T. kuchingensis (Nobili, 1901) is discussed, its precise identity ascertained from fresh material, and its actual distribution determined. This increases the number of Terrathelphusa species in Borneo to eight.

Notes on two crabs (Crustacea, Brachyura, Dynomenidae and Iphiculidae collected from red coral beds in northern Taiwan, including a new species of Pariphiculus Alcock, 1896

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Peter K. L. Ng

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Two brachyuran species of the families Dynonemidae and Iphiculidae are reported from red coral beds in northern Taiwan. The dynonemid Acanthodromia margarita (Alcock, 1899 has hitherto been reported from the Andaman Sea, Japan, and Philippines and the species is here recorded for the first time from Taiwan. A new species of iphiculid, Pariphiculus stellatus sp. n., is also described. The new Pariphiculus, which also occurs in the Philippines, is superficially similar to P. agariciferus Ihle, 1918, a species known from Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South China Sea, Taiwan, and Vanuatu, but can be distinguished by distinct carapace, pleonal and male first gonopod features.

A new classification of the Xanthoidea sensu lato (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) based on phylogenetic analysis and traditional systematics and evaluation of all fossil Xanthoidea sensu lato

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Karasawa, H.; Schweitzer, C.E.

2006-01-01

A phylogenetic analysis was conducted including representatives from all recognized extant and extinct families of the Xanthoidea sensu lato, resulting in one new family, Hypothalassiidae. Four xanthoid families are elevated to superfamily status, resulting in Carpilioidea, Pilumnoidoidea,

Parapatric genetic divergence among deep evolutionary lineages in the Mediterranean green crab, Carcinus aestuarii (Brachyura, Portunoidea, Carcinidae), accounts for a sharp phylogeographic break in the Eastern Mediterranean.

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Deli, Temim; Kalkan, Evrim; Karhan, Selahattin Ünsal; Uzunova, Sonya; Keikhosravi, Alireza; Bilgin, Raşit; Schubart, Christoph D

2018-04-11

Recently, population genetic studies of Mediterranean marine species highlighted patterns of genetic divergence and phylogeographic breaks, due to the interplay between impacts of Pleistocene climate shifts and contemporary hydrographical barriers. These factors markedly shaped the distribution of marine organisms and their genetic makeup. The present study is part of an ongoing effort to understand the phylogeography and evolutionary history of the highly dispersive Mediterranean green crab, Carcinus aestuarii (Nardo, 1847), across the Mediterranean Sea. Recently, marked divergence between two highly separated haplogroups (genetic types I and II) of C. aestuarii was discerned across the Siculo-Tunisian Strait, suggesting an Early Pleistocene vicariant event. In order to better identify phylogeographic patterns in this species, a total of 263 individuals from 22 Mediterranean locations were analysed by comparing a 587 basepair region of the mitochondrial gene Cox1 (cytochrome oxidase subunit 1). The examined dataset is composed of both newly generated sequences (76) and previously investigated ones (187). Our results unveiled the occurrence of a highly divergent haplogroup (genetic type III) in the most north-eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. Divergence between the most distinct type III and the common ancestor of both types I and II corresponds to the Early Pleistocene and coincides with the historical episode of separation between types I and II. Our results also revealed strong genetic divergence among adjacent regions (separating the Aegean and Marmara seas from the remaining distribution zone) and confirmed a sharp phylogeographic break across the Eastern Mediterranean. The recorded parapatric genetic divergence, with the potential existence of a contact zone between both groups in the Ionian Sea and notable differences in the demographic history, suggest the likely impact of paleoclimatic events, as well as past and contemporary oceanographic processes, in shaping genetic variability of this species. Our findings not only provide further evidence for the complex evolutionary history of the green crab in the Mediterranean Sea, but also stress the importance of investigating peripheral areas in the species' distribution zone in order to fully understand the distribution of genetic diversity and unravel hidden genetic units and local patterns of endemism.

Physiological maturity and relationships of growth and reproduction in the red mangrove crab Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille (Brachyura, Grapsidae on the coast of São Paulo, Brazil Maturidade fisiológica e as relações entre o crescimento e a reprodução do caranguejo de manguezal Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille (Brachyura, Grapsidae no litoral de São Paulo, Brasil

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Valter José Cobo

2005-03-01

Full Text Available This investigation provided information on the physiological sexual maturity and relationships of growth and reproduction in Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803. Collections were made monthly from January 1995 through December 1996, on the northeastern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. The crabs were grouped into juvenile males; adult males; juvenile females, and adult females, including ovigerous ones. For each specimen the carapace width (CW was measured, and molt condition and macroscopic developmental stage of the gonad tissue were recorded. CWs of physiologically mature crabs were between 21.4 and 23.7 mm for both sexes. This population showed molt activity in all size groups throughout the study period, which suggests continuous growth and the absence of terminal anecdysis. This may be associated with the ability of these animals to copulate during the intermolt, supplying a high proportion of mature individuals over time and ensuring continuity of reproduction year-round.Este trabalho fornece informações sobre as relações entre a maturidade sexual e o crescimento do caranguejo Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803. Durante o período de janeiro de 1995 a dezembro de 1996 foram realizadas coletas mensais na região de Ubatuba, litoral norte do Estado de São Paulo. Os animais capturados foram reunidos em quatro grupos de interesse: macho jovem, macho adulto, fêmea jovem e fêmea adulta, em que estão incluídas as ovígeras. Para cada animal foi mensurada a largura da carapaça (LC e anotadas a condição de muda e o estágio do desenvolvimento gonadal. A maturidade fisiológica foi observada entre 21.4 e 23.7mmLC para ambos os sexos. A população amostrada apresentou atividade de muda em todas as classes de tamanho durante todo o período estudado, o que sugere o estabelecimento de um padrão de crescimento contínuo e ausência de anecdise terminal para essa espécie. Esse fato pode estar associado com a habilidade desses animais em copular durante a intermuda, gerando uma grande quantidade de indivíduos maduros durante todo o ano, garantindo a continuidade do processo reprodutivo.

Distribution of decapod larvae in the surface layer of an isolated equatorial oceanic archipelago: the cases of benthic Grapsus grapsus (Brachyura: Grapsidae) and pelagic Sergestes edwardsi (Dendrobranchiata: Sergestidae)

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Brandão, Manoela Costa; Koettker, Andréa Green; Freire, Andrea Santarosa

2013-03-01

Two different decapod larval assemblages inhabit the marine environment of Saint Paul's Rocks, differentiating the inlet from the surrounding oceanic waters. Larvae of the crab Grapsus grapsus and of the holopelagic shrimp Sergestes edwardsi are abundant in superficial waters of the archipelago and have previously been shown to be good indicators of the inlet and adjacent oceanic waters, respectively. We investigated the horizontal, diel and temporal distribution of these species at Saint Paul's Rocks. Horizontal surface hauls were conducted from 2003 to 2005, in the inlet and at four increasing distances from the archipelago, in the morning and at night, using a 200-μm mesh net. Larvae of G. grapsus were identified in samples from all expeditions and abundance was found significantly higher at night in the inlet site. Only larvae in the first zoeal stage were found in samples, highlighting the importance of the area for this species reproduction. On the contrary, the distribution of larvae of S. edwardsi was typical of a holopelagic species, which are permanent residents of the water column and spawn in oceanic areas, indicating that the islands are of little influence to them.

Nectonema zealandica n. sp. (Nematomorpha: Nectonematoidea) parasitising the purple rock crab Hemigrapsus edwardsi (Brachyura: Decapoda) in New Zealand, with notes on the prevalence of infection and host defence reactions.

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Poinar, G; Brockerhoff, A M

2001-10-01

A new species of marine hairworm, Nectonema zealandica (Nematomorpha: Nectonematoidea), is described from the purple rock crab Hemigrapsus edwardsi Hilgendorf from the South Island, New Zealand. This is the first record of Nectonema in the South Pacific Ocean and the southernmost locality for the genus. The description is based on juveniles and pre-adults taken from crabs. The new species is characterised by its stomal structure, presence of four cephalic papillae, mesenchyme arranged in eight lobes in pre-adults, insertion of muscle layer increasing body diameter at the septum and translucent anterior chamber. Data on the prevalence of infection over a three-year period, rates of parasitism in relation to host sex and size, and host defence reactions are presented. A list of all reported hosts of nectonematids is included.

Spatial and temporal distribution of decapod larvae in the subtropical waters of the Arvoredo archipelago, SC, Brazil Distribuição espacial e temporal de larvas de decápodos nas águas subtropicais do arquipélago do Arvoredo, SC, Brasil

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Andréa G. Koettker

2006-03-01

Full Text Available The present paper aims to describe the temporal and spatial distribution of the composition and abundance of Decapoda larvae in the shallow waters around Arvoredo Marine Biological Reserve. Stomatopod occurrence is also discussed. Plankton samples were collected at five sites around the Arvoredo Island every two months for one year from May, 2002 to April, 2003. Thirty-nine morphotypes, 11 genus and 4 species (Artemesia longinaris Bate, 1888, Hexapanopeus schmitii Rathbun, 1930, Menippe nodifrons Stimpson, 1859 and Pleoticus muelleri Bate, 1888 were identified, among them only two morphotypes of Stomatopoda larvae, and the remainder Decapoda larvae. Brachyuran zoeae were the most abundant group and they were well represented by Portunidae and Xanthidae zoeae. Lucifer sp. and Caridea zoeae were the most abundant non-brachyuran taxa. Decapod larvae were observed to occur at all sampling sites, however the spatial distribution demonstrated a general tendency to greater abundance and diversity at the southern sites of the Island. Decapoda and Stomatopoda larvae occurred throughout the year, showing that reproduction is continuous, but that larval input in planktonic community was significantly higher during autumn and spring.Este trabalho tem como objetivo a descrição da distribuição temporal e espacial da composição e abundância de larvas de decápodes nas águas rasas ao redor da Reserva Biológica Marinha do Arvoredo. A ocorrência de larvas de estomatópodes também foi discutida. Foram realizadas coletas de plâncton em cinco estações ao redor da Ilha do Arvoredo, de maio de 2002 a abril de 2003 a cada dois meses. Foram identificados 39 morfotipos, 11 gêneros e 4 espécies (Artemesia longinaris Bate, 1888, Hexapanopeus schmitii Rathbun, 1930, Menippe nodifrons Stimpson, 1859 and Pleoticus muelleri Bate, 1888, sendo apenas dois morfotipos da Ordem Stomatopoda e o restante da Ordem Decapoda. Zoés de Brachyura foi o grupo mais abundante

Portunoid crabs as indicators of the Red Sea fauna history and endemism

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Spiridonov, Vassily; Türkay, Michael; Brösing, Andreas; Al-Aidaroos, Ali

2013-04-01

Peculiar environmental conditions and "turbulent" geological history make the Red Sea a laboratory of evolution and a significant area for understanding adaptation processes. To interpret the results of this basin-scale evolutionary experiment revised inventories of taxonomic diversity of particular groups of marine biota are essential. As one of the first results of the Red Sea Biodiversity Survey (RSBS) in the years 2011 - 2012 along the coast of Saudi Arabia (http://www.redseabiodiversity.org/) and examination of earlier collections and literature a revised species list is provided for the portunoid (swimming) crabs (Crustacea Decapoda Portunoidea). This superfamily is one of the most species rich and has one of the broadest habitat scopes among Brachyura in the global scale. The present assessment results in 54 shallow water species (including 2 recorded for the first time in the Red Sea during RSBS), 2 deep water species and 1 semipelagic species Charybdis smithii. Doubtful literature records of another 7 shallow water species remain unconfirmed. Among reliably recorded shallow water species 58 % belong to widespread Indo-West-Pacific (IWP) species, 13% are the species restricted to the western Indian Ocean, 11 % are endemics of the Arabian region (occurring also either in the western Gulf of Aden or along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, or in both areas) which are usually vicariant to the widespread IWP species, 11% are taxa that are similar to the species occurring elsewhere in the IWP but have morphological peculiarities and probably deserve a specific or subspecific status. Finally 4% of species (Thalamita murinae and Liocarcinus subcorrugatus) appear to be endemic for the Red Sea and show remarkable disjunctions from most closely related species. Carcinus sp. (probably C. aestuarii) is an introduced (but not established) species in the northern Red Sea. The deep water fauna of the Red Sea is unique because it lives in the warm (20.5-21.5 ° C

Características populacionais de Microphrys bicornutus (Brachyura, Mithracidae no fital Halimeda opuntia (Chlorophyta, Halimedaceae, em área recifal submetida à visitação humana, em João Pessoa, Paraíba Population characteristics of Microphrys bicornutus (Brachyura, Mithracidae on the phytal Halimeda opuntia (Chlorophyta, Halimedaceae, on reef area submitted to human visitation, in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

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Jefferson B. Batista

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho teve como objetivos caracterizar e comparar a estrutura e a dinâmica populacional de Microphrys bicornutus Latreille, 1825 no fital Halimeda opuntia (Halimedaceae coletado nas formações recifais de Picãozinho (submetida à visitação turística e São Gonçalo (área controle, na costa de João Pessoa (Nordeste do Brasil, sob influência de fatores ambientais e do número de visitantes. Nas duas áreas de estudo as populações analisadas estiveram compostas por fêmeas e machos maduros e imaturos com significativa predominância de machos e de animais imaturos, freqüência de tamanho e períodos reprodutivos similares. O tamanho máximo dos exemplares, a freqüência de distribuição de tamanho e a razão sexual diferiram dos resultados obtidos para a espécie em outras latitudes e habitats. Dados de razão sexual evidenciam que independentemente do estágio de maturação, os machos apresentam predominância significativa (RS>1,0, e que a proporção de fêmeas diminui com o amadurecimento sexual. Sem sofrer influência da biomassa da alga, e da salinidade e temperatura da água, variações populacionais significativas foram associadas ao aumento de juvenis durante períodos chuvosos. A baixa densidade populacional e a maior desproporção da relação macho: fêmea em subárea de Picãozinho com maior fluxo de pessoas sugerem que estas variações podem ter sido induzidas pelo pisoteio das algas.The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the population structure and dynamic of Microphrys bicornutus Latreille, 1825 on the phytal Halimeda opuntia (Halimedaceae collected on the reef areas of Picãozinho (visited by tourists and São Gonçalo (control area, in João Pessoa coast (Northeastern of Brazil, under the influence of environmental conditions and visitant numbers. In both study areas the populations analyzed were composed similarly of mature and immature males and females, with predominance of males and immature animals, and similar size frequency and reproductive period. Sex-ratio, size frequency distribution, and size of the biggest specimens differed from those estimated in others latitudes and habitats for this species. Sex ratio estimation has made evident that independently of maturation stage, males tended to predominate significantly and the proportion of females to decrease with sexual maturation. Without exhibiting influence of the alga biomass, and of the salinity and temperature of the water, significant population variations were associated to the increase of juvenile during rainy periods. The low population density and the largest disproportion of the relationship male: female in Picãozinho subarea with larger flow of people, are suggestive that the trampling of the alga might have induced this population variation.

Distribution and bioconcentration of heavy metals in a tropical aquatic food web: A case study of a tropical estuarine lagoon in SE Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendoza-Carranza, Manuel; Sepúlveda-Lozada, Alejandra; Dias-Ferreira, Celia; Geissen, Violette

2016-01-01

Despite the increasing impact of heavy metal pollution in southern Mexico due to urban growth and agricultural and petroleum activities, few studies have focused on the behavior and relationships of these pollutants in the biotic and abiotic components of aquatic environments. Here, we studied the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) in suspended load, sediment, primary producers, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish, in a deltaic lagoon habitat in the Tabasco coast, with the aim to assess the potential ecological risk in that important wetland. Zn showed the highest concentrations, e.g., in suspended load (mean of 159.58 mg kg"−"1) and aquatic consumers (15.43–171.71 mg kg"−"1), particularly Brachyura larvae and ichthyoplankton (112.22–171.71 mg kg"−"1), followed by omnivore Callinectes sp. crabs (113.81–128.07 mg kg"−"1). The highest bioconcentration factors (BCF) of Zn were observed for planktivore and omnivore crustaceans (3.06–3.08). Zn showed a pattern of distribution in the food web through two pathways: the pelagic (where the higher concentrations were found), and the benthic (marsh plants, sediment, mollusk, fish). The other heavy metals had lower occurrences in the food web. Nevertheless, high concentrations of Ni and Cr were found in phytoplankton and sediment (37.62–119.97 mg kg"−"1), and V in epiphytes (68.64 mg kg"−"1). Ni, Cr, and Cd concentrations in sediments surpassed international and national threshold values, and Cd entailed a “considerable” potential risk. These heavy metals are most likely transferred into the food web up to fishes through the benthic pathway. Most of the collected fishes are residents in this type of habitat and have commercial importance. Our results show that the total potential ecological risk in the area can be considered as “moderate”. Nevertheless, heavy metal values were similar or surpassed the values from other highly industrialized tropical coastal regions

Distribuição de caranguejos Trichodactylidae (Crustacea, Brachyura em alagados do Pantanal Mato-Grossense (Brasil e sua correlação com a proximidade do rio Cuiabá e cobertura vegetal

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Fábio Ricardo da Rosa

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Há poucos estudos sobre caranguejos do Pantanal, e estes geralmente enfocam a carcinofauna de rios e lagoas. O Pantanal é a maior planície inundável do mundo, localizado em uma bacia sedimentar na região central da América do Sul, com cerca de 138 km² de área. Há duas estações, de chuva e seca, com o período de inundação começando em janeiro e terminando em abril. Neste trabalho, estudamos a distribuição de caranguejos em habitats temporariamente inundados do Pantanal Mato-Grossense. A área de estudo está localizada entre os rios Cuiabá e São Lourenço, ambos afluentes do Rio Paraguai, localizado no centro-oeste brasileiro. Realizamos coletas diárias no período de cheia do pantanal (22/02 a 03/03 de 2008. Utilizamos 20 parcelas com 25 m² cada para a coleta de dados ambientais e dos animais, mediante cerco com rede de malha 3 mm e captura com rede de arrasto de mesma malha. Removemos a vegetação e a lavamos dentro da parcela para remover animais associados. Diferenciamos os habitats em função das fitofisionomias, da disponibilidade de abrigo para animais, da forma de cobertura vegetal submersa, e da distância do rio. Estudamos o efeito dessas variáveis sobre a abundância de caranguejos associados aos habitats, através de teste de Kruskall-Wallis e regressão linear. Obtivemos densidade média de 0,63 indivíduos/m², predominantemente jovens, e amostramos as três mais abundantes das seis de espécies de Trichodactylidae da região. Houve correlação positiva com formas de cobertura submersa, principalmente gramínea, e negativa com a distância do rio Cuiabá, mostrando que a migração ou dispersão para os alagados diminui com a distância do rio e se concentra em campos nativos ou antropizados. Provavelmente as gramíneas desempenham para os caranguejos, nos alagados, o mesmo papel que as macrófitas aquáticas desempenham em corpos d'água permanentes.There are few papers about crabs in the Pantanal area and that works are mainly with carcinofauna of rivers and lakes. Pantanal is the biggest floodplain of the world, located in a sedimentary basin in the central portion of South America, with around 138 km² of area. There are two season, the rainy and dried, with the flooding period starting in January and finish in April. In this present paper, the distribution of the crabs is studied in temporarily flooded habitats between Cuiabá and São Lourenco Rivers, in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso State, both tributary of the Paraguay River. The collect period was in rainy season, daily between 22/02/08 to 03/03/08. The environmental and animal data were collect using 20 plots with 25 m² each, and a siege net with 3 mm of mesh size and captured crabs with beach seine of the same mesh. The vegetation was removed and washed inside of the plots to extract the associated fauna. The habitats were differentiated according to the phytophisionomy, the availability of animal shelter, the type of the submerse plant structures and the distance of the Cuiabá River. The effect of these variables over abundance of crabs associated to the habitats was verified by Kruskall-Wallis test and by linear regression. The mean density of the crabs was 0,63 individuals/m² and the juvenile stage was predominant. It was sampled three of the most abundant species among the six Trichodactylidae species that occur in the region. The correlation was positive to the availability of submerse plant structures, specially grass cover, and negative to the distance of the river. These results show that migration and dispersion to the flooded areas reduces with the distance of the river and concentrates in native or exotic grasses. Probably for the crabs, the gramineae has same ecological role in the flooded areas as the macrophytes have in the perennial water bodies.

Brain architecture of the largest living land arthropod, the Giant Robber Crab Birgus latro (Crustacea, Anomura, Coenobitidae: evidence for a prominent central olfactory pathway?

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Krieger Jakob

2010-09-01

suggest that B. latro has visual and mechanosensory skills that are comparable to those of marine Crustacea. Conclusions In parallel to previous behavioral findings that B. latro has aerial olfaction, our results indicate that their central olfactory pathway is indeed most prominent. Similar findings from the closely related terrestrial hermit crab Coenobita clypeatus suggest that in Coenobitidae, olfaction is a major sensory modality processed by the brain, and that for these animals, exploring the olfactory landscape is vital for survival in their terrestrial habitat. Future studies on terrestrial members of other crustacean taxa such as Isopoda, Amphipoda, Astacida, and Brachyura will shed light on how frequently the establishment of an aerial sense of olfaction evolved in Crustacea during the transition from sea to land. Amounting to ca. 1,000,000, the numbers of interneurons that analyse the olfactory input in B. latro brains surpasses that in other terrestrial arthropods, as e.g. the honeybee Apis mellifera or the moth Manduca sexta, by two orders of magnitude suggesting that B. latro in fact is a land-living arthropod that has devoted a substantial amount of nervous tissue to the sense of smell.

A new species of Foza Reed & Cumberlidge, 2006 from northern Madagascar (Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamoidea, Potamonautidae, with a redescription of F. goudoti (H. Milne Edwards, 1853 comb. n., and comments on Skelosophusa prolixa Ng & Takeda, 1994

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Neil Cumberlidge

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Foza ambohitra sp. n. is described from Ambohitra, Antsiranana Province, northern Madagascar at 421 m elevation. This species is distinguished by characters of the carapace, the male anterior thoracic sternum, and the form of the male major cheliped and first gonopod. Thelphusa goudoti H. Milne Edwards, 1853, is transferred to Foza Reed & Cumberlidge, 2006, and redescribed, and a key to the three species of this genus is provided. Comments on the rare cave crab Skelosophusa prolixa Ng & Takeda, 1994, from Antsiranana Province are also included based on newly obtained material.

Breeding period in the mangrove crab Goniopsis cruentata (Decapoda: Grapsidae in Northeast Brazil

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José Jonathas Pereira Rodrigues de Lira

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The brachyuran crabs are iteroparous species which present a high diversification of reproduction patterns, which may have evolved as a species-specific response to environmental conditions. Tropical species commonly present a year-round reproduction due to stable environment conditions. Goniopsis cruentata is a crab species widely distributed along the Western Atlantic, inhabiting practically every microhabitat in the mangrove ecosystem. The aim of the present study is to determine the breeding period of the crab Goniopsis cruentata in Northeastern Brazil and also to evaluate the influence of water salinity, rainfall and air and water temperature on it. A total of 71 ovigerous females, captured from August-2007 to July-2008, were used to assess the breeding period of this species. It was analyzed by the monthly proportion of ovigerous females. A correlation was applied to verify the influence of the abiotic factors on the breeding period. The present population bred seasonal-continuously with peaks in the dry period, which was not associated with monthly variations of salinity, rainfall and air and water temperatures. Therefore, according to statistical analyses, our hypothesis was refuted. However, breeding was intensified in the dry period, when salinity and temperatures were higher and rainfall was lower. We conclude that, even though breeding is not related to monthly variation of environmental factors, it occurs in periods of higher salinity and temperatures and lower rainfall.Los cangrejos Brachyura son especies iteróparas, que presentan alta diversificación en los patrones de reproducción, que pueden haber evolucionado como una respuesta específica de la especie a las condiciones ambientales. Las especies tropicales frecuentemente presentan una reproducción en todo el año debido a las condiciones estables del medio. El cangrejo Goniopsis cruentata es una especie ampliamente distribuida en largo del Atlántico occidental, y que

Relative growth and sexual dimorphism of Austinixa aidae (Brachyura: Pinnotheridae: a symbiont of the ghost shrimp Callichirus major from the southwestern Atlantic Crecimiento relativo y dimorfismo sexual en Austinixa aidae (Barchyura: Pinnotheridae: un simbionte del camarón fantasma Callichirus major del Atlántico sudoccidental

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Douglas Fernando Peiró

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Species of the family Pinnotheridae constitute an ideal group for morphometric studies due to their complex morphological adaptations. These adaptations respond to the selective pressure of a symbiotic life style. This study describes the relative growth and morphometric features of the symbiotic pea crab Austinixa aidae (associated with the ghost shrimp Callichirus major, from the sandy beaches in the southwest Atlantic, Brazil. Significant differences were detected in the biometric proportions, particularly the chelar propodus length and carapace width, of each sex. These dimensions were also related to the size at which the individuals reached morphological sexual maturity (5.1 mm of carapace width for both sexes. Males and females were 2.4 times wider than long, which corresponds to the principal adaptation developed by Austinixa species to live in cryptic environments. Moreover, juveniles were proportionally more rounded. The changes in the biometric proportions of carapace length and width of A. aidae were more pronounced in males and females, adaptations that facilitate roaming within the galleries of their hosts.Las especies de la familia Pinnotheridae constituyen un grupo ideal para la realización de estudios morfométricos, debido a sus complejas adaptaciones morfológicas. Estas adaptaciones son respuesta a la presión de selección debida a su vida simbionte. En este estudio se describió el crecimiento relativo y las características morfométricas del cangrejo simbionte Austinixa aidae (asociado con el camarón fantasma Callichirus major, de una playa de arena del Atlántico suroeste de Brasil. Se determinaron diferencias significativas en las proporciones biométricas de cada sexo, entre la longitud del propodio y ancho del caparazón. Estas dimensiones estuvieron relacionadas también con la talla en que los individuos muestran cambios morfológicos en su madurez sexual (5.1 mm de ancho del caparazón en ambos sexos. Los machos y hembras fueron 2,4 veces más anchos que largos, lo que corresponde a la adaptación principal que las especies del género Austinixa, han desarrollado para vivir en ambientes crípticos. Además, los juveniles fueron proporcionalmente más redondeados. Los cambios en las proporciones biométricas de longitud y ancho del caparazón de A. aidae, fueron más pronunciados en machos y hembras, adaptaciones que facilitan el desplazamiento al interior de las galerías construidas por sus hospederos.

[Proceedings of the 5th Symposium on Mesozoic and Cenozoic Decapod Crustaceans, Krakow, Poland, 2013: A tribute to Pál Mihály Müller / R.H.B. Fraaije, M. Hyžný, J.W.M. Jagt, M. Krobicki & B.W.M. van Bakel (eds.)]: Neozanthopsis americana (Decapoda, Brachyura, Carpilioidea) from the Middle Eocene Cane River Formation of Louisiana, USA, and associated teleost otoliths

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Schweitzer, C.E.; Feldmann, R.M.; Stringer, G.L.

2014-01-01

A large collection of Neozanthopsis americana (Rathbun, 1928) from the Middle Eocene (Lutetian) Cane River Formation in Louisiana, USA, represents the first opportunity to describe the species in detail. Detailed analysis of associated teleost otoliths and other vertebrate remains documents a

[Proceedings of the 5th Symposium on Mesozoic and Cenozoic Decapod Crustaceans, Krakow, Poland, 2013: A tribute to Pál Mihály Müller / R.H.B. Fraaije, M. Hyžný, J.W.M. Jagt, M. Krobicki & B.W.M. van Bakel (eds.)]: A new genus and species of raninoidian crab (Decapoda, Brachyura) from the Lower Cretaceous of Colombia, South America

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Luque, J.

2014-01-01

A new raninoidian crab, Bellcarcinus aptiensis gen. nov., sp. nov., is described from the upper Aptian of Colombia. The new genus displays a combination of traits seen among some ancient species within the Necrocarcinidae and Orithopsidae, obscuring its family placement. This taxon represents the

Disappearance of the last lions and hyenas of Europe in the Late Quaternary - a chain reaction of large mammal prey migration, extinction and human antagonism

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Diedrich, Cajus G.

2010-05-01

recorded anymore in northern and central Germany, such as cave bears. References Begouen R. and Clottes J. 1987. Les Trois Frères after Breuil. Antiquity, 61: 180-187. Bosinski, G. 1987. Die große Zeit der Eiszeitjäger. Europa zwischen 40.000 und 10.000 v.Chr. Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums, 34: 13-139. Breuil, H. 1952. Four Hundred Centuries of Cave Art. Montignac, Dordogne, 414 pp. Chauvet, J.-M., Deschamps B.E, and Hillaire C. 1995. Grotte Chauvet. Altsteinzeitliche Höhlenkunst im Tal der Ardèche. Thorbecke Speläo 1, Sigmaringen, 120 pp. Diedrich, C. 2005. Eine oberpleistozäne Population von Crocuta crocuta spelaea (GOLDFUSS 1823) aus dem eiszeitlichen Fleckenhyänenhorst Perick-Höhlen von Hemer (Sauerland, NW Deutschland) und ihr Kannibalismus. Philippia, 12 (2): 93-115, Kassel. Diedrich, C. 2006. The Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss 1823) population from the early Upper Pleistocene hyena open air prey deposit site Biedensteg near Bad Wildungen (Hess, NW Germany) and the contribution to their phylogenetic position, coprolites and prey. Cranium, 23 (2): 39-53, Amsterdam. Diedrich, C. 2007a. Upper Pleistocene Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss 1810) skeleton remains from Praha-Podbaba and the contribution to other lion finds from loess and river terrace sites in Central Bohemia (Czech Republic). Bulletin of Geosciences, 82 (2), 99-117, Prague. Diedrich, C. 2007b. Crocuta crocuta spelaea (GOLDFUSS 1823) remains from the Upper Pleistocene hyaena Teufelskammer Cave den site near Hochdahl in the Neander valley (NRW, NW Germany). Cranium, 24 (2): 39-44, Amsterdam. Diedrich, C. 2007c. The Upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (GOLDFUSS 1823) population and its prey from the gypsum karst den site Westeregeln near Magdeburg (Middle Germany). Abhandlungen und Berichte für Naturkunde, 30: 57-83, Magdeburg. Diedrich, C. 2008a. Late Pleistocene Hystrix (Acanthion) brachyura LINNAEUS 1758 from the Fuchsluken cave at the Rote Berg near Saalfeld (Thuringia