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POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS of the CRAB MONODAEUS COUCHII (CRUSTACEA, BRACHYURA, 1 XANTHIDAE) in the WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN L

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POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS of the CRAB MONODAEUS COUCHII (CRUSTACEA, BRACHYURA, 1 XANTHIDAE) in the WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN L POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CRAB MONODAEUS COUCHII (CRUSTACEA, BRACHYURA, 1 XANTHIDAE) IN THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN l Mori, M., Abelló, P., Mura, M. & De Ranieri, S., 1995. Population characteristics of the crab Monodaeus couchii (Crustacea, Brachyura, Xanthidae) in the Western Mediterranean. Misc. Zool., 18: 77-88. Population characteristics of the crab Monodaeus couchii (Crustacea, Brachyura, Xanthidae) in the Western Mediterranean.- Some aspects of the biology of the bathyal crab Monodaeus couchii from the North Tyrrhenian Sea, Sardinian Channel and Catalan Sea (Western Mediterranean) have been studied. The occurrence depth range has been found to be of betwe- en 80 and 748 m. The sex-ratio was found to be highly biassed towards males in the three study areas. The crabs are sexually dimorphic, adult males being larger than adult females. There appears to be seasonality in reproduction: ovigerous females were only collected in October, November and December. Puberty moult, as determined by morphological changes of the che- lae, takes place in males within a size range of 11-16 mm carapace length. This species is hete- rochelic, with most males being right-handed. M. couchii is an opportunistic predator but seems to be also able of deposit feeding and scavenging. Key words: Brachyura, Xanthidae, Monodaeus, Distribution, Population biology. (Rebut: 11 XI 94; Acceptació condicional: 21 11 95; Acc. definitiva: 27 VI1 95) Mario Mori, Istituto di Anatomia Comparata delllUniversita, viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132 Genova, Italia (1talyJ.-Pere Abelló, Institut de Ciencies del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Joan de Borbó s/n., 08039 Barcelona, Espanya (Spain).- Marco Mura, Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Universitd degli Studi di Cagliari, Viale Poetto 1, Cagliari, ltalia (Italy).- S. de Ranieri, Dipartimento di Scienze delllAmbiente e del Territorio dell'Universita, via A. Volta 6, 56100 Pisa, Italia (Italy). The Italian part of this research was supported by the Ministero Marina Mercantile. Data from the Catalan Sea were obtained through the research programs "Análisis de la degradación de comunidades explotadas" funded by CAICYT, and "Estudi de l'impacte de la pesca dels arras- trers petits en els stocks d'espkcies comercials de la costa catalana" funded by Generalitat de Catalunya. INTRODUCTION Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic from Scotland southward to Angola (MANNING& Monodaeus couchii (Couch, 1851) is a deep- HOLTHUIS,1981; CLARK,1986; INGLE,1981). water crab which inhabits muddy substrates Published information on its biology is on the outer shelf and continental slope. Its limited, especially because of its low densi- distribution area encompasses the ties and therefore scarce records. However, it Misc. Zool. 18, 1995 Fig. 1. Location of the three study areas in the western Mediterranean. A. Thyrrenian Sea; B. Sardinian Channel; C. Catalan Sea. Situación de las tres zonas de estudio en el Mediterráneo occidental. A. Mar Tirreno; B. Canal de Cerdeña; C. Mar Catalán. is not a rare species, since it is preyed upon MATERIAL AND METHODS by many epibenthic species of the bathyal Mediterranean, such as the crabs Geryon lon- Crabs were collected from three study areas: gipes and Paromola cuvieri (RELWI& MORI, the North Thyrrenian Sea between the islands 1977; MORI,1986), and the fishes Chimaera of Elba and Giannutri, the Sardinian Channel monstruosa, Galeus melastomus, Phycis between Sardinia and Tunisia, and the Cata- blennoides, and Conger conger (VACCHI& lan Sea off the coasts of Catalonia (fig. 1). RELINI,1979; MACPHERSON,1980; RELINI& A total of 86 males and 19 females were FANCIULLI,198 1; MORI,1982). collected from the Thyrrenian Sea during six The present investigation was set out to years of demersal trawl surveys (1985-86-87 analyse the main population characteristics of and 1990-91-92) in the area lying between Monodaeus couchii, such as depth range of the islands of Elba and Giannutri. A total of distribution, population structure, reproducti- 260 hauls were performed with a 20 mm ve biology, morphometrics and diet from data mesh trawl net, within a depth range of 4- collected on its populations from the Northem 635 m. Sarnples were taken in al1 months of Tyrrhenian Sea, Sardinian Channel and the year. In the Sardinian Channel a total of Catalan Sea in the Westem Mediterranean. 50 females and 115 males were collected in MORI et al. 30 trawls from depths of between 400 and les from the Sardinian Channel. Al1 the crabs 550 m in June-December 1993 using 20 mm studied were collected in summer, during mesh size trawl nets. Data from the Catalan daytime, within a depth range of 400-500 m. Sea were collected dunng two fishery rese- Food items were scored using the percentage arch surveys with monthly samples perfor- occurence method (F%) as described by med between June 1981 and June 1983 and WILLIAMS(1981); in the samples from the between November 1990 and November Sardinian Channel the percentage number of a 1991 off the coasts of Catalonia. In 1981-83, prey in relation to the total prey number (N%) a total of 185 trawls were completed in was calculated for those prey items in which depths of between 3 and 871 m using bottom quantification was posible. Empty foreguts trawl nets of 20 rnm mesh size equipped with were omitted from al1 calculations. To test for a 9 mm mesh size covered codend. In 1990- differences in the proportional constitution of 91,66 trawls were performed at depths com- stomach contents of males and females from prised between 16 and 677 m. A total of 125 the Sardinian Channel, a chi-squared test was male and 49 female of Monodaeus couchii performed on the frequency of occurrence of from this area were collected and examined. the different prey categones (SIEGEL,1956). Measurements were taken with vernier calipers to the nearest 0.1 rnrn. Data collected were: CL. Carapace length, from the frontal RESULTS margin to the posterior edge of the carapace; CW. Carapace width, from tip to tip of the last Bathymetnc distribution anterolateral teeth; handedness; in right-han- In the Northem Thyrrenian Sea, specimens of ded individuals; RCRL. Crusher chela propo- Monodaeus couchii were collected within a dus length, right crusher length, from the depth range of 80-635 m; the sampled depth ventral carpo-propodus junction to the tip of range was 4-635 m. In the Sardinian Channel the chela and RCRH. Crusher chela propodus M. couchii occurred at depths of between 400 height, maximum height of the propodus at the and 600 m; the sampled depth range was 100- leve1 of the dactylar junction. A distinction 600 m. The depth range of occurrence of M. was made in male crabs between those bearing couchii off the coasts of Catalonia was found a closed chela (juveniles) and those bearing an to be 137-748 m; the sampled depth range open chela (adults). Morphometric data were was 3-871 m. analyzed by calculating the linear regression of log CW, log RCRL and log RCRH on log Size population structure and sex-ratio CL (Model 1). Allometry was determined by In the Thyrrenian Sea, the size of the indivi- comparing the slope of the log-transformed duals collected (86 males and 19 females) regressions with the isometxic slope of 1 using ranged between 5.5 and 21.2 mm CL for the Student's t-test. Hystological exarnination males and between 8.3 and 13.9 mm CL for of the vas deferens of three juvenile and five females (fig. 2). Both juvenile and adult adult male crabs from the Thrrenian Sea was males occurred in the catches, while most of performed to relate externa1 morphology of the females were adult individuals (the small- the chelae with the onset of sexual matunty. est ovigerous female sampled was 11 mm Natural diet was determined by foregut CL; see below). In the Sardinian Channel, content analysis of 24 males from the male sizes ranged between 8.8 and 21.1 mm Thyrrenian Sea and of 74 males and 33 fema- CL. and female sizes between 8.4 and Misc. Zool. 18, 1995 Thyrrenian Sea Males Females 7 6 5 2 4 E L 3 2 1 o 5 1O 15 20 25 5 1O 15 20 25 Carapace length (mm) Carapace length (mm) Sardinian Channel Males Females 20 14 12 15 10 aL n $8 ;10 z 2 6 5 4 2 o o 5 1O 15 20 25 5 10 15 20 25 Carapace length (mm) Carapace length (mm) Catalan Sea Males Females 5 1O 15 20 25 5 10 15 20 25 Carapace length (mm) Carapace length (mm) MORIet al. 15.8 mm CL (fig. 2). In the Catalan Sea, sizes males occurred more frequently in the cat- ranged between 9.4 and 22.0 mm CL for ches than females. The sex-ratio at sizes lar- males, and between 8.0 and 16.6 mm CL for ger than 15 mm CL was however clearly females (fig. 2). Al1 crabs were captured wit- dominated by males. hin tlíe codend. As in the Thyrrenian Sea, most of the females captured were adult indi- Reproductive biology vidual~(the smallest ovigerous female sam- Only three ovigerous females weré collected pled was 10 mm CL; see below). In al1 the in the Thyrrenian Sea; they measured 10.8, areas studied, the depopulation was mar- 1 1.3 and 13.9 mm CL and were collected in kedly bimodal or polymodal, whereas the October and November 1991, and December female population was clearly unimodal. The 1992 (fig. 2). Two out of three females size range and the population structure were collected in May-June 1992 had mature similar in the three populations studied. gonads of an orange colour.
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