Redalyc.Population Biology of the Mangrove Crab Ucides Cordatus

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Redalyc.Population Biology of the Mangrove Crab Ucides Cordatus Revista de Biología Tropical ISSN: 0034-7744 [email protected] Universidad de Costa Rica Costa Rica de Miranda Leão Leite, Marcos; Ferreira Rezende, Carla; Feitosa Silva, José Roberto Population biology of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Decapoda: Ucididae) in an estuary from semiarid Northeastern Brazil Revista de Biología Tropical, vol. 61, núm. 4, diciembre, 2013, pp. 1721-1735 Universidad de Costa Rica San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44930117013 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Population biology of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Decapoda: Ucididae) in an estuary from semiarid Northeastern Brazil Marcos de Miranda Leão Leite1, Carla Ferreira Rezende2 & José Roberto Feitosa Silva2 1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil; [email protected] 2. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, Centro de Ciências Bloco 902, Secretaria do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, CEP 60.455-760, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil; [email protected], [email protected] Received 08-II-2013. Corrected 19-VI-2013. Accepted 22-VII-2013. Abstract: Biología poblacional del cangrejo de manglar Ucides cordatus (Decapoda: Ucididae) en un estu- ario tropical semiárido. The mangrove crab Ucides cordatus is an important resource of estuarine regions along the Brazilian coast. U. cordatus is distributed from Florida, USA, to the coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The spe- cies plays an important role in processing leaf litter in the mangroves, which optimizes the processes of energy transfer and nutrient cycling, and is considered a keystone species in the ecosystem. Population declines have been reported in different parts of the Brazilian coast. In the present study we evaluated aspects of the population structure, sex ratio and size at morphological sexual maturity. We analyzed 977 specimens collected monthly over 24 months (2010-2012), in a mangrove of the Jaguaribe River, in the municipality of Aracati on the East coast of Ceará state, Northeastern Brazil. The study area has a mild semiarid tropical climate, with mean tem- peratures between 26 and 28oC. The area is located within the eco-region of the semiarid Northeast coast, where mangroves occur in small areas and estuaries are affected by mesomareal regimes. The population structure was evaluated by the frequency distribution of size classes in each month, and the overall sex ratio was analyzed using the chi-square test. Size at morphological sexual maturity was estimated based on the allometry of the cheliped of the males and the abdomen width of the females, using the program REGRANS. The size-frequency distribution was unimodal in both sexes. The overall sex ratio (M: F) (1:0.6) was significantly different from 1:1. Analysis of the sex ratio by size class showed that the proportion of males increased significantly from size class 55-60mm upward, and this pattern persisted in the larger size classes. In the smaller size classes the sex ratio did not differ from 1:1. The size at morphological sexual maturity was estimated at a carapace width (CW) of 52mm and 45mm for males and females, respectively. Analysis of the population parameters indicated that the population of U. cordatus in the Jaguaribe River mangrove is stable. However, constant monitoring of the population is required to detect any changes in the population attributes that may affect this stability. Rev. Biol. Trop. 61 (4): 1721-1735. Epub 2013 December 01. Key words: allometry, population structure, fishery management, sex ratio, size at sexual maturity. The study of population biology furthers & Negreiros-Fransozo, 1999; Conde et al., our understanding of the ecological stability 2000; Cobo, 2005; Litulo, 2005; Benetti et al., of a species in a particular habitat (Castiglioni 2007; Bezerra & Mathews-Cascon, 2007; Kas- et al., 2006). Population parameters of brachy- suga et al., 2008; Gregati & Negreiros-Franso- uran crabs have been investigated by analyzing zo, 2009; Hartnoll et al., 2009; Castiglioni et the distribution of individuals in size class, sex al., 2011; Araújo et al., 2012). ratio, range in size at sexual maturity, reproduc- The size-frequency distribution of a tive cycle, fecundity, and juvenile recruitment population is a dynamic characteristic that (Thurman, 1985; Díaz & Conde, 1989; Flores can change during the year, as a result of Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 61 (4): 1721-1735, December 2013 1721 reproduction and larval recruitment (Thurman, al., 2008), as it allows the establishment of a 1985). In crab populations of tropical regions, minimum size at capture (Lizzárraga-Cubedo the distribution of individuals in size classes et al., 2003; Corgos & Freire, 2006). has been found to be unimodal (Díaz & Conde, The mangrove crab Ucides cordatus is dis- 1989; Diele et al., 2005; Litulo, 2005; Fer- tributed from Florida, USA to the coast of Santa nandes-Góes et al., 2005; Gregati & Negreiros- Catarina, Brazil (Melo, 1996). It inhabits the Fransozo, 2009), suggesting stable populations mangroves of the intertidal zone, where it digs with constant rates of mortality and recruitment burrows in the sediment, each occupied by (Hartnoll & Bryant, 1990). a single individual (Costa, 1972; Alcântara- In natural populations, the proportion of Filho, 1978; Nascimento, 1993; Góes et al., males and females at birth tends to be 1:1 2010). The species plays an important role (Fisher 1930). After birth, many factors can in processing leaf litter in mangroves, which affect this relationship, such as mortality rates, optimizes the processes of energy transfer and longevity and growth, predation, migration, nutrient cycling (Nordhaus & Wolff, 2007). utilization of different habitats by two sexes Therefore, where it occurs, U. cordatus is (Wenner, 1972; Hartnoll et al., 2009), and pro- considered a keystone species in the ecosystem cesses related to reproductive events (Gregati (Schories et al., 2003). Besides, this species has & Negreiros-Fransozo, 2009). a seasonal breeding period, which along the The concept of age/size at the onset of Brazilian coast is between December and April sexual maturity is essential for understanding (Ivo & Gesteira, 1999). the reproductive strategy and fitness of indi- U. cordatus has significant economic viduals of a species, as factors determining the importance as a fishery resource in estuarine reproductive potential (McQuaid et al., 2006; regions, principally in Northeast Brazil, and its Castiglioni & Coelho, 2011). Sexual maturity exploitation involves an extensive production is an important regulator of population dynam- chain (Ibama, 1994; Ivo & Gesteira, 1999; ics, influencing demography and recruitment Glaser & Diele, 2004). The fishery for this rates (Gerhart & Bert, 2008). crustacean is selective by size and sex. In gen- Physiological and morphological changes eral, females and specimens with a carapace that enable the appearance of secondary sexual width less than six centimetres are rejected in traits responsible for the transition from the favour of larger specimens, preferably males juvenile to adult phase characterize the onset of (Botelho et al., 2000; Paiva, 1997; Passos & Di sexual maturity in crustaceans (Hartnoll, 1978). Beneditto, 2005; Leite et al., 2006; Fernandes In this case, early maturity in brachyurans can & Carvalho, 2007). Declines in U. cordatus be detected by changes in the growth propor- populations have been reported in many coastal tions (relative or allometric) of structures asso- regions of Brazil (Diele et al., 2005, Legat et ciated with secondary sexual characteristics al., 2005; Mendonça & Pereira, 2009), and cur- such as the cheliped in males and the abdomen rently, this crustacean is included in the list of width in females (Hartnoll, 1974; Hartnoll, species threatened by overexploitation (MMA 1982; Pinheiro & Fransozo, 1998). Its onset - Ministério do Meio Ambiente, 2004). occurs when an individual reaches a certain In the area evaluated in this study, popula- size, and can vary greatly both among popula- tions of U. cordatus are potentially subject to tions of the same species and among individu- impact factors related to dams, shrimp aqua- als within a population (Fonteles-Filho, 1989). culture and fishing, as well as weather and Size at sexual maturity is a key parameter for typical climatic adversities such as scarce and the development of management plans for irregular rainfall distribution. These character- commercially exploited species (González- istics can potentially affect biological traits of Gurriarán & Freire, 1994; Pinheiro & Fran- populations (Marins et al., 2003). The study sozo, 1998; McQuaid et al., 2006; Rostant et aimed to generate data as a basis for monitoring 1722 Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 61 (4): 1721-1735, December 2013 and conservation of this population, following afternoon and collected the following morning, an approach based on Life History Theory, after approximately 12h. Individuals collected focusing on size structure, sex ratio and size were killed by temperature shock at 3oC in a at sexual maturity. This population
Recommended publications
  • Phylogenetic Relationships of the Plagusiidae Dana, 1851
    PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF THE PLAGUSIIDAE DANA, 1851 (BRACHYURA), WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW GENUS AND RECOGNITION OF PERCNIDAE ŠTEVCIˇ C,´ 2005, AS AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY BY CHRISTOPH D. SCHUBART1,3) and JOSÉ A. CUESTA2,4) 1) Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany 2) Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, CSIC, Avenida República Saharaui, 2, E-11519 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain ABSTRACT A molecular and morphological analysis of representatives of the family Plagusiidae, including all members of Plagusia Latreille, 1804, and the recently established Davusia Guinot, 2007, was carried out. Due to marked differences in adult and larval morphology, as well as mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, two species of Plagusia,viz.,P. chabrus (Linnaeus, 1758), and P. dentipes De Haan, 1835, are considered sister taxa but distinct from other members of the genus. They are transferred to a new genus, Guinusia. A molecular phylogeny suggests that Guinusia is not closer related to Plagusia than to the plagusiid genera Euchirograpsus H. Milne Edwards, 1853, and Miersiograpsus Türkay, 1978. Furthermore, with new evidence from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA as well as a reappraisal of the larval morphology, the genus Percnon Gistel, 1848, is formally removed from the Plagusiidae and recognized as a separate family, Percnidae Števciˇ c,´ 2005. RÉSUMÉ Une analyse moléculaire et morphologique des représentants de la famille des Plagusiidae comprenant tous les membres du genre Plagusia Latreille, 1804, et le genre récemment établi Davusia Guinot, 2007, a été réalisée. Pour tenir compte des nettes différences dans la morphologie adulte et larvaire ainsi que sur l’ADN nucléaire et mitochondrial, deux espèces de Plagusia, P.
    [Show full text]
  • The Importance of Burrowing and Leaf Litter Feeding Crabs for the Ecosystem Functioning of Mangrove Forests
    The importance of burrowing and leaf litter feeding crabs for the ecosystem functioning of mangrove forests Dissertation submitted by Nathalie Pülmanns In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of natural sciences (Dr. rer. nat.) Faculty of Biology/Chemistry University Bremen Germany March 2014 The present thesis has been realized from July 2011 until March 2014 at the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology in Bremen. Board of Examiner: Reviewer: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Saint-Paul Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany Reviewer: Prof. Dr. Juliane Filser Umweltforschung/- Technologie, Universität Bremen, Germany Examiner: Prof. Dr. Matthias Wolff Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany Examiner: Dr. Karen Diele Edinburgh Napier University, Great Britain Members: Alejandra Sepúlveda Lozada PhD student at the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany Members: Constanze Bark Bachelor student at the University of Bremen Thesis supervisors: Dr. Karen Diele - Edinburgh Napier University, Great Britain Dr. Ulf Mehlig - Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brazil Dr. Inga Nordhaus - Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany Prof. Dr. Ulrich Saint-Paul - Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany Table of content Table of content Table of content ...................................................................................................................... I Thesis abstract ......................................................................................................................III
    [Show full text]
  • Cardisoma Guanhumi
    Firmo et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2012, 8:12 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/8/1/12 JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE RESEARCH Open Access Capture and commercialization of blue land crabs (“guaiamum”) Cardisoma guanhumi (Lattreille, 1825) along the coast of Bahia State, Brazil: an ethnoecological approach Angélica MS Firmo1*, Mônica MP Tognella1, Saulo R Silva1,2, Raynner RRD Barboza2 and Rômulo RN Alves2 Abstract Background: Blue Land Crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) is one of the most important crustacean species captured and commercialized in Brazil. Although this species is not considered to be threatened with extinction, populations of C. guanhumi are known to be rapidly diminishing due to heavy harvesting pressures and degradation of their natural habitats, highlighting the necessity of developing and implanting management and protection strategies for their populations. There have been no ethnozoological publications that have focused specifically on C. guanhumi, in spite of importance of this type of information for developing efficient management plans of resource utilization. So, the present work describes the ethnoecological aspects of the capture and commercialization of C. guanhumi by a fishing community in northeastern Brazil. Methods: Field work was carried out in the municipality of Mucuri, Bahia in Brazil, between the months of January and March/2011 through the use of open semi-structured interviews with all of the crustacean harvesters in city who acknowledged their work in capturing this species, totaling 12 interviewees. The informants were identified through the use of the “snowball” sampling technique. In addition to the interviews themselves, the “guided tour” technique and direct observations was employed.
    [Show full text]
  • Crustacea: Decapoda; Brachyura) in the Estuary of the Mamanguape River, Northeast Brazil
    23 POPULATION STRUCTURE OF THE MANGROVE CRAB Ucides cordatus (CRUSTACEA: DECAPODA; BRACHYURA) IN THE ESTUARY OF THE MAMANGUAPE RIVER, NORTHEAST BRAZIL 1,* RÔMULO ROMEU DA NÓBREGA ALVES 2 ALBERTO KIOHARU NISHIDA 1 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 58059-900 João Pessoa, PB, Brasil. *Autor para correspondência. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 58059-900 João Pessoa, PB, Brasil. Recebido: 15/06/2003 Aceito: 09/12/2003 ABSTRACT The crab Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) or ‘caranguejo-uçá’, as it is known in Brazil, is one of the most conspicuous and abundant components of the epibenthic macrofauna of Brazilian mangrove ecosystems and the most exploited resource by riparian human populations. It is aimed here to study the population structure of this crustacean in the estuary of the Mamanguape river, State of Paraíba, Northeast Brazil. The research was performed between August 2000 and September 2001. An area of 1600m2 was marked out through the mangrove habitat and the density of U. cordatus was determined by counting inhabited burrows. Three-hundred crabs were captured and biometrical and sexual ratio values were obtained. The mean density of inhabited burrows was 1.7 burrows m-2. Males crabs were larger than females and their sexual ratio was 1.85: 1.00. They mate between January and March. The low dimension of captured specimens and the low values of population density here obtained confirm the observation of crab gatherers that ‘caranguejo-uçá’ is decreasing in that mangrove area.
    [Show full text]
  • Growth of the Mangrove Crab Ucides Cordatus (Brachyura, Ocypodidae)
    JOURNAL OF CRUSTACEAN BIOLOGY, 25(2): 293–301, 2005 GROWTH OF THE MANGROVE CRAB UCIDES CORDATUS (BRACHYURA, OCYPODIDAE) Marcelo Antonio Amaro Pinheiro, Ana Gla´ucia Fiscarelli, and Gustavo Yomar Hattori (MAAP, correspondence) Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus do Litoral Paulista, Unidade Sa˜o Vicente / Grupo de Pesquisa–Biologia de Crusta´ceos (CRUSTA)–Prac¸a Infante Dom Henrique, s/n., Parque Bitaru, 11330-900, Sa˜o Vicente (SP), Brasil ([email protected]); (AGF, GYH) Programa de Po´s-Graduac¸a˜o em Zootecnia, A´ rea de Produc¸a˜o Animal-Ph.D. candidates ([email protected]) ABSTRACT During monthly samplings between September 1998 and August 2000, 3,660 specimens of Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) (2054 males and 1606 females) were obtained and examined for size (CW ¼ carapace width) to determine growth-age equations for each sex. This species showed a slower growth, with a marked seasonal oscillation, in females as compared to males, suggesting application of the seasonal and nonseasonal von Bertalanffy growth model, respectively. CW‘ and k constant were closely similar for the two sexes (CW‘ male ¼ 90.3 mm; CW‘ female ¼ 88.6 mm; kmale ¼ 0.28; kfemale ¼ 0.26). The age at sexual maturity was estimated to be around 3 years, while the age at legal size (CW ¼ 60 mm) was 3.8 and 4.7 years for males and females, respectively. In the laboratory, juvenile stages did not show differences in growth rates under the same temperature and photoperiod conditions. Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) is associated with the been influenced by temperature, salinity, and photoperiod mangrove areas of the Western Atlantic, occuring from (Costlow and Bookhout, 1968; Leffler, 1972; Du Preez and Florida (U.S.A.) to the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil (Melo Mclachlan, 1984).
    [Show full text]
  • Biometric Differences in Ucides Cordatus (LINNAEUS, 1763) (Crustacea; Brachyura; Ocypodidae) As an Indicative of Environmental Stress
    Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciências Ambientais Ibero-American Journal of Environmental Sciences Fev a Mar 2020 - v.11 - n.2 ISSN: 2179-6858 This article is also available online at: www.sustenere.co Biometric differences in Ucides cordatus (LINNAEUS, 1763) (Crustacea; Brachyura; Ocypodidae) as an indicative of environmental stress Growing urban development, port expansion, and the deployment of industries along the northeast coast of Brazil are some of the major threats to crustacean fauna that depend directly on the mangrove ecosystem to survive. In response to these environmental changes, the swamp ghost crab (Ucides cordatus) presents biological dysfunctions in body size to invest in mechanisms that regulate homeostasis. The present study aimed to evaluate the size and condition factor of crabs from two distinct mangrove areas, being an impacted area and a reference area. Male crabs were collected through the braking technique, weighed with an analytical balance and the width and length of the carapace were measured with a digital caliper. We used a t test to observe differences between two areas and different periods, and the power function (y = axb) for the ratio between the weight and width of the carapace of each individual was used in order to observe the type of growth. There were significant differences between the weight and length of the individuals between the two sample areas and the growth classified as negative allometric. Keywords: Condition factor; Mangrove; Environmental impact; Adaptive strategies. Diferenças biométricas de Ucides cordatus (LINNAEUS, 1763) (Crustacea; Brachyura; Ocypodidae) como indicativo de estresse ambiental O crescente desenvolvimento urbano, a ampliação de portos e a implantação de indústrias ao longo da costa nordeste do Brasil são algumas das principais ameaças a fauna de crustáceos que dependem diretamente do ecossistema manguezal para sobreviver.
    [Show full text]
  • Ucides Cordatus) in Paraíba State (Northeastern Brazil) and Its Socio-Environmental Implications Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciências, Vol
    Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências ISSN: 0001-3765 [email protected] Academia Brasileira de Ciências Brasil Nascimento, Douglas M.; Ferreira, Emmanoela N.; Bezerra, Dandara M.M.S.Q.; Rocha, Pollyana D.; Alves, Rômulo R.N.; Mourão, José S. Capture techniques' use of Caranguejo-uçá crabs (Ucides cordatus) in Paraíba state (northeastern Brazil) and its socio-environmental implications Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, vol. 84, núm. 4, diciembre, 2012, pp. 1051-1064 Academia Brasileira de Ciências Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=32724544029 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (2012) 84(4): 1051-1064 (Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences) Printed version ISSN 0001-3765 / Online version ISSN 1678-2690 www.scielo.br/aabc Capture techniques’ use of Caranguejo-uçá crabs (Ucides cordatus) in Paraíba state (northeastern Brazil) and its socio-environmental implications DOUGLAS M. NASCIMENTO1, EMMANOELA N. FERREIRA1, DANDARA M.M.S.Q. BEZERRA1, POLLYANA D. ROCHA2, RÔMULO R.N. ALVES2 and JOSÉ S. MOURÃO2 1Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Rua José Serrano Navarro, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Castelo Branco, 58051-900 João Pessoa, PB, Brasil 2Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Av. Baraúnas, 351, Campos Universitário, Bodocongó, 58109-753 Campina Grande, PB, Brasil Manuscript received on October 3, 2011; accepted for publication on November 24, 2011 ABSTRACT The present study was undertaken in two traditional communities that are located on the margins of the estuary and mangrove complex of the Mamanguape River, Paraíba state (PB), Brazil.
    [Show full text]
  • Die Gecarcinidae Amerikas. Mit Einem Anhang Über Ucides RATHBUN
    , '7 333 Send-cnberglana biol. | 51 | (5/6) | 333—354 | Frankfurt a. M., 15. 12. 1970 Die Gecarcinidae Amerikas. Mit einem Anhang über Ucides RATHBUN (Crustacea: Decapoda). Von MICHAEL TÜRKAY, Frankfurt am Main. Mit 11 Abbildungen und 2 Verbreitungskarten. Eine vergleichende Untersuchung aller beschriebenen Gecarcinidae unter habituellen, zoogeographischen und phylogenetischen Gesiditspunkten hat es bisher nicht gegeben. Die ausführliche Darstellung von RATHBUN (1918) im Rah­ men der amerikanischen Grapsoiden ist im wesentlichen nach systematischen Gesichtspunkten aufgebaut. Diese Arbeit diente mir als Grundlage meiner Stu­ dien, besonders im Hinblick auf die Determination. Angeregt wurde ich zu der Arbeit durch die reichhaltigen Ausbeuten von H. M. PETERS und A. ZILCH aus El Salvador und Honduras, sowie deren Bearbeitung durch R. BoTT, worin be­ reits gewisse Zweifel an der Richtigkeit der Auffassung von RATHBUN ZU er­ kennen sind. Außer dem erwähnten Material konnten noch weitere Aufsammlungen von K.-H. KoEPCKE aus Peru herangezogen werden, und zahlreiche Museen haben mich freundlicherweise mit Material unterstützt. Ihnen allen sei mein herzlichster Dank ausgesprochen: Allan Hancock Foundation (J. S. GARTH), Museum Comparative Zoology (LEVI), Mu­ seum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneve (HAUSER), Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (J. FOREST), Naturhistorisches Museum Basel (E. SUTTER), Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (L. B. HOLTHUIS), United States National Museum (H. B. ROBERTS), Zoologi- sdies Museum Hamburg (G. HARTMANN), Zoologisdie Sammlung desl Bayerisdien Staates (E. POPP), Zoologiske Museum Kopenhagen (T. WOLFF). Im Text wurden folgende Abkürzungen verwandt: Gar = Carapax, Go/1 = 1. Gonopod, Gschlö = Gesdileditsöffnung, HL = Hinterleib, Mxp/3 = 3. Maxilliped, P/1 = 1. Pereiopod, P/2-5 = 2.-5. Pereiopod, VSR = Vorderseitenrand.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Heterotreme-Thoracotreme Distinction in the Eubrachyura De Saint-Laurent, 1980"
    Northern Michigan University NMU Commons Journal Articles FacWorks 2001 "On the Heterotreme-Thoracotreme Distinction in the Eubrachyura de Saint-Laurent, 1980" Richard V. Sternberg Neil Cumberlidge Northern Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.nmu.edu/facwork_journalarticles Part of the Biology Commons Recommended Citation Sternberg, R. v.and N. Cumberlidge. 2001. On the heterotreme-thoracotreme distinction in the Eubrachyura de Saint-Laurent, 1980. Crustaceana, 74(4): 321-338. This Journal Article is brought to you for free and open access by the FacWorks at NMU Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal Articles by an authorized administrator of NMU Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Hydrobiologia 449: 21–39, 2001. 21 J.P.M. Paula, A.A.V. Flores & C.H.J.M. Fransen (eds), Advances in Decapod Crustacean Research. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. Notes on the position of the true freshwater crabs within the brachyrhynchan Eubrachyura (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) Richard v. Sternberg1 & Neil Cumberlidge2 1Dept. of Systematic Biology, NHB-163, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, U.S.A. 2Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI 49855, U.S.A. Key words: Crustacea, freshwater crabs, Pseudothelphusidae, Potamoidea, Thoracotremata, Eubrachyura, cladistics, phenetics Abstract Cladistic and phenetic relationships of 51 eubrachyuran crab genera, comprising 36 genera of marine crabs and 18 genera of true freshwater crabs from 7 families, were investigated using 121 parsimony-informative adult morphological characters. The data matrix was subjected to four different treatments: (1) a cladistic analysis with a combination of unordered and ordered characters, (2) a cladistic analysis with all characters unordered, (3) neighbour-joining, and (4) UPGMA phenetic analyses.
    [Show full text]
  • Uca Rapax (Mudflat Fiddler Crab)
    UWI The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago Ecology Uca rapax (Mudflat Fiddler Crab) Order: Decapoda (Crabs, Lobsters and Shrimps) Class: Malacostraca (Crustaceans: Crabs, Sand-hoppers and Woodlice) Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods) Fig. 1. Mudflat fiddler crab, Uca rapax. [http://ocean.si.edu/mangroves, downloaded 10 March 2016] TRAITS. The mudflat fiddler crab Uca rapax is considered dimorphic since the males have a large claw on one side of the body (Fig. 1) and the females have two small claws. Males are also larger in body size: in Brazil, the carapace width at maturity was 13-15mm in males and 11- 12mm in females (Castiglioni and Negreiros-Fransozo, 2004). Both females and males are generally greyish-white in colour, but green to blue can be seen in the large claw and the eyestalks. Colour is dependent upon environmental factors, and hints of orange and yellow are also found in the claws. Fiddler crabs are darker during the day time and light during the night (Tpwd.Texas.Gov., 2016). DISTRIBUTION. Uca rapax is found along tropical coasts of the USA (southern Florida, Texas), West Indies and the Caribbean, and Brazil (Fig. 2). HABITAT AND ACTIVITY. As the name suggests (mud fiddler crab), they reside in intertidal zones of muddy areas of the salt marsh and mangroves (Figueiredo et al., 2008) (Fig. 3). The soft mud is not only home to these creatures but also their feeding ground and protection. Uca rapax are diurnal, skilled at burrowing into the mud, creating holes that provide a nest for their young, privacy for mating, for sleeping and in the colder regions “hibernation” during the winter UWI The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago Ecology (Gcrl.Usm.Edu., 2016).
    [Show full text]
  • Larval Growth
    LARVAL GROWTH Edited by ADRIAN M.WENNER University of California, Santa Barbara OFFPRINT A.A.BALKEMA/ROTTERDAM/BOSTON DARRYL L.FELDER* / JOEL W.MARTIN** / JOSEPH W.GOY* * Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, USA ** Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA PATTERNS IN EARLY POSTLARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF DECAPODS ABSTRACT Early postlarval stages may differ from larval and adult phases of the life cycle in such characteristics as body size, morphology, molting frequency, growth rate, nutrient require­ ments, behavior, and habitat. Primarily by way of recent studies, information on these quaUties in early postlarvae has begun to accrue, information which has not been previously summarized. The change in form (metamorphosis) that occurs between larval and postlarval life is pronounced in some decapod groups but subtle in others. However, in almost all the Deca- poda, some ontogenetic changes in locomotion, feeding, and habitat coincide with meta­ morphosis and early postlarval growth. The postmetamorphic (first postlarval) stage, here­ in termed the decapodid, is often a particularly modified transitional stage; terms such as glaucothoe, puerulus, and megalopa have been applied to it. The postlarval stages that fol­ low the decapodid successively approach more closely the adult form. Morphogenesis of skeletal and other superficial features is particularly apparent at each molt, but histogenesis and organogenesis in early postlarvae is appreciable within intermolt periods. Except for the development of primary and secondary sexual organs, postmetamorphic change in internal anatomy is most pronounced in the first several postlarval instars, with the degree of anatomical reorganization and development decreasing in each of the later juvenile molts.
    [Show full text]
  • The Stalk-Eyed Crustacea of Peru and the Adjacent Coast
    \\ ij- ,^y j 1 ^cj^Vibon THE STALK-EYED CRUSTACEA OF PERU AND THE ADJACENT COAST u ¥' A- tX %'<" £ BY MARY J. RATHBUN Assistant Curator, Division of Marine Invertebrates, U. S. National Museur No. 1766.—From the Proceedings of the United States National Museum, '<•: Vol.*38, pages 531-620, with Plates 36-56 * Published October 20, 1910 Washington Government Printing Office 1910 UQS3> THE STALK-EYED CRUSTACEA OF PERU AND THE ADJA­ CENT COAST. By MARY J. RATHBUN, Assistant Curator, Division of Marine Invertebrates, U. S. National Museum. INTKODUCTION. Among the collections obtained by Dr. Robert E. Coker during his investigations of the fishery resources of Peru during 1906-1908 were a large number of Crustacea, representing 80 species. It was the original intention to publish the reports on the Crustacea under one cover, but as it has not been feasible to complete them at the same time, the accounts of the barnacles a and isopods b have been issued first. There remain the decapods, which comprise the bulk of the collection, the stomatopods, and two species of amphipods. One of these, inhabiting the sea-coast, has been determined by Mr. Alfred O. Walker; the other, from Lake Titicaca, by Miss Ada L. Weckel. See papers immediately following. Throughout this paper, the notes printed in smaller type were con­ tributed by Doctor Coker. One set of specimens has been returned to the Peruvian Government; the other has been given to the United States National Museum. Economic value.—The west coast of South America supports an unusual number of species of large crabs, which form an important article of food.
    [Show full text]