Ecological distribution and reproductive period of the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura, Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil

Autor(es)

Bertini, G. ^[1] ; Fransozo, A. ^[2] ; Braga, A. A.

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Instituto de Biociências - Brasil

^[2] Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Instituto de Biociências - Brasil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Journal of Natural History; v. 38, n. 18, p. 2331-2344, Sept. 2004.
• Área do conhecimento: Ciências Biológicas - Zoologia
• Assunto(s): Anomuros Loxopagurus loxochelis Reprodução Reprodução animal São Paulo

Resumo

The present study aimed to determine the ecological distribution of Loxopagurus loxochelis as a function of selected environmental factors, as well as its reproductive period based on the combined analysis of the presence of ovigerous females and the development of the gonad. The collections were carried out monthly from January to December 2000 in the region of Ubatuba (SP), using a fishing boat equipped with two double rig nets, in isobaths of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 m, at which depths samples of sediment and water were collected. The cephalothoracic shield length and sex of the animals were determined; the abdomen was dissected to verify gonad development stages. A total of 334 individuals was obtained (196 males, 48 ovigerous females and 90 non-ovigerous females) with sizes varying from 3.0 to 8.6mm (5.7¡1.0 mm). A greater abundance of L. loxochelis (95.2%) was observed at depths of 20 and 25 m. These sites mainly revealed a substratum stable with a very fine sand fraction, which facilitates the habit of embedding shown by this hermit. With regard to gonadal analysis, it was possible to classify four gonad development stages for each sex: immature, rudimentary, developing and developed. It was observed that in the winter months about 71% of the females had gonads either developing or developed and 67% were ovigerous. Therefore, the winter period can be considered the peak of reproduction for this species, characterizing a typical seasonal-continuous reproduction. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 98/03134-6 - Análise bioecológica de crustáceos braquiúros costeiros do Litoral Norte Paulista
• Beneficiário: Maria Lucia Negreiros Fransozo
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 97/12106-3 - Biologia e distribuição espacial e temporal dos caranguejos (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) do substrato não-consolidado, na região de Ubatuba (SP)
• Beneficiário: Giovana Bertini
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 97/12108-6 - Biologia e distribuição espacial e temporal das espécies de camarões Dendrobranchiata (Crustacea: Decapoda) na região de Ubatuba (SP)
• Beneficiário: Rogério Caetano da Costa
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 97/12107-0 - Composição e distribuição de anomuros (Crustacea: Decapoda) do substrato não consolidado na região de Ubatuba, SP
• Beneficiário: Lissandra Corrêa Fernandes Góes
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 94/04878-8 - Transporte para melhoria das condições de estudo dos crustáceos decápodes
• Beneficiário: Maria Lucia Negreiros Fransozo
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa Infraestrutura