Diversity and geographical distribution in ghost shrimps (Infraorders Axiidea and Gebiidea), along the Brazilian coast: an ecological approach to biogeographical patterns of distribution.

• Grant number: 15/09020-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2015
• End date: September 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Antonio Amaro Pinheiro
• Grantee: Patricio Alejandro Hernáez Bové
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB-CLP). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental do Litoral Paulista. São Vicente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Ghost shrimps are classified as ecosystem engineers due to their ability to modify, maintain and/or create new habitats, which gives to these species an important role in structure of marine communities from shallow environments. Information about diversity and geographical distribution of ghost shrimps from coast of Brazil is currently scarce and mainly restricted to the north and northeastern of Brazilian coast. Some important works have provided a list of species; however, the overall knowledge about spatial distribution and basic ecology of most Brazilian species is too limited. Based on a collecting program along the entire coast of Brazil, the present study proposes examining the diversity and geographical distribution of ghost shrimps belonging to infraorders Axiidea and Gebiidea. Furthermore, it will obtain important information about sex ratio and reproductive potential (% ovigerous females) of each species and correlate these variables with spatial distribution along the Brazilian coast, in addition with population density (counting number of burrows), collect of biological material and sampling of decapod symbionts associated to the galleries of the ghost shrimps. The entire coast of Brazil will be covered through two latitudinal expeditions: (i) ERN, North and Northeastern expedition; and (ii) ERS, South and Southeastern expedition. The outcomes of the present study will provide new information about biogeography of this important group of decapod crustacean, which could be used like a baseline to management and conservation of ghost shrimps' populations along the Brazilian coast.

Scientific publications

(10)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PATRICIO HERNÁEZ; MICHAEL J. HEREMAN; CAMILA E. R. PIMENTA; JULIANA P. P. RIO; MARCIO C. A. JOÃO; MARCELO A. A. PINHEIRO. The effectiveness of a protection law in favor of conservation of an marine resource: The example of the ghost shrimp Callichirus major (Decapoda, Callianassidae) of the coast of Brazil. IHERINGIA SERIE ZOOLOGIA, v. 109, 2019-01-14. (15/09020-0)

HERNAEZ, PATRICIO; FENBERG, PHILLIP B.; RIVADENEIRA, MARCELO M.. Departing from an ideal: An asymmetric, bimodal and non-Equatorial latitudinal gradient of marine diversity in Western Atlantic burrowing shrimps (Decapoda: Axiidea and Gebiidea). Journal of Biogeography, v. 48, n. 3, DEC 2020. (15/09020-0)

HERNAEZ, PATRICIO; WINDSOR, AMANDA M.; PAULA, CAIO AUGUSTO; SANTANA, WILLIAM. A new species of the ghost shrimp genus Neocallichirus Sakai, 1988 (Decapoda: Axiidea: Callianassidae) from the southwestern Atlantic. MARINE BIOLOGY RESEARCH, v. 16, n. 1, DEC 2019. (15/09020-0)

HERNAEZ, PATRICIO; MUGNAI, RICCARDO; SOUZA-FILHO, JESSER F.; PINHEIRO, MARCELO ANTONIO AMARO. Monogamy in the Burrowing Shrimp Axianassa australis Rodrigues & Shimizu, 1992 (Decapoda, Gebiidea, Axianassidae). BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN, v. N/A, p. 10-pg., 2022-04-01. (15/09020-0)

HERNAEZ, PATRICIO; AMARO PINHEIRO, MARCELO ANTONIO; ALVES-JUNIOR, FLAVIO ALMEIDA; SANTANA, WILLIAM. Intertidal burrowing shrimps (Axiidea: Callianassidae, Callichiridae; Gebiidea: Axiannassidae, Upogebiidae) collected along the Brazilian coast. MARINE BIOLOGY RESEARCH, v. 18, n. 5-6, p. 29-pg., 2022-09-20. (15/09020-0)

HERNAEZ, PATRICIO; MIRANDA, MARCEL S.; RIO, JULIANA P. P.; PINHEIRO, MARCELO A. A.. A new Callichirus ghost shrimp species from the south-western Atlantic, long confounded with C. major (Say, 1818) (Decapoda: Axiidea: Callichiridae). Journal of Natural History, v. 56, n. 9-12, p. 31-pg., 2022-03-19. (15/09020-0, 18/17718-5)

JOAO, MARCIO C. A.; HERNAEZ, PATRICIO. Burrow use and sexual dimorphism as indicators of the mating system in the symbiotic pea crab Austinixa patagoniensis (Rathbun 1918) (Decapoda, Brachyura, Pinnotheridae). MARINE ECOLOGY-AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE, v. 42, n. 5, AUG 2021. (17/22770-3, 15/09020-0)

HERNAEZ, PATRICIO; MIRANDA, MARCEL S.; TAVARES, MARCOS. A new species of Biffarius Manning & Felder, 1991 (Decapoda: Axiidea: Callianassidae) from the intertidal coast of northeastern Brazil. Zootaxa, v. 4759, n. 4, p. 575-583, APR 6 2020. (15/09020-0, 18/17718-5)

PIVA RIO, JULIANA PRISCILA; HERNAEZ, PATRICIO; AMARO PINHEIRO, MARCELO ANTONIO. Relative growth, sexual maturity and handedness in the ghost shrimp Callichirus major (Decapoda: Callianassidae) from the southwestern Atlantic. Scientia Marina, v. 83, n. 2, p. 167-175, JUN 2019. (15/09020-0)

HERNAEZ, PATRICIO; BUCHMANN, FRANCISCO SEKIGUCHI; SANTANA, WILLIAM. A new species of Callichirus Stimpson, 1866 (Axiidea, Callianassidae) from the Pleistocene bioclastic sediment of southeast Brazil. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, v. 101, AUG 2020. (15/09020-0)