| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Watanabe, Timoteo T.
[1]
;
Zara, Fernando J.
[2]
;
Hattori, Gustavo Y.
[1]
;
Turra, Alexander
[3]
;
Sant'Anna, Bruno S.
[1]
Total Authors: 5
|
| Affiliation: | [1] Univ Fed Amazonas UFAM, PPGCTRA, ICET, BR-69103128 Itacoatiara, AM - Brazil
[2] Univ Estadual Paulista UNESP, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Inst Estudos Avancados Mar, Ctr Aquicultura, Dept Biol Aplicada, Lab Morfol Invertebrados, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil
[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Oceanog IOUSP, DOB, BR-05508120 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 3
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências; v. 87, n. 1, p. 219-232, MAR 2015. |
| Web of Science Citations: | 2 |
| Abstract | |
A marine biological invasion is a natural process accelerated by human activities, and the crab Charybdis hellerii is an example of a globally widespread invasive species. This study evaluated color variation in C. hellerii and its relationship to the sex, size and sexual maturity of these crabs, and compared the efficiency of a freeware digital image-editing program with a commercially available program. The color of the individuals was analyzed using standardized digital images. The color pattern varied significantly with size; smaller and immature individuals were darker than larger and mature ones. The female abdomen changed in morphology and color with sexual maturity, becoming wider and orange-colored. There was no statistical difference in the color values between males and females and immature males did not show morphological or color differences in their abdomen. This study highlights the possible relationships of the color and physiological state of the reproductive system, which could help in future studies of behavior, avoiding the need to dissect and/or remove individuals from nature for assessment of sexual maturity. The freeware program showed the same efficiency in digital image analysis as a widely known commercial program. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 10/50188-8 - Decapod crustaceans: multi-disciplinary characterization of the sea biodiversity of the State of São Paulo (taxonomy, spermiotaxonomy, molecular biology and population dynamics) |
| Grantee: | Fernando Luis Medina Mantelatto |
| Support Opportunities: | BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants |