Brazil. Monthly samples were carried out in the morning, afternoon, and evening using two over-trawls with 6 m at the opening, 3.0-cm mesh at the outer part and 2.0-cm mesh in the bag. Dardanus insignis was collected year round but with higher densities in September and October. The hermit crabs were more abundant during the evening than the afternoon but no di¡erences were recorded between morning and both evening and afternoon. Females were slightly more abundant than males but the sex ratio did not di¡er from 1:1. Females were more abundant in the smallest size-classes (51.8 cm) while males outnumbered females in the largest ones (42.2 cm). The individuals of this population of D. insignis have a mean cephalothoracic length of 1.89 AE0.40 cm (range 1.00 to 3.90 cm) and a mean weight of 40.26 AE27.06 g. The size distribution showed an unimodal pattern, with males being larger than ovigerous females, which, in turn, were larger than non-ovigerous females. Dardanus insignis showed a seasonal reproductive pattern with a peak from September to November and complete absence of ovigerous females from April to August. The von Bertalan¡y growth function (VBGF) with temporal oscillation ¢tted for this population of D. insignis had the following parameters: L 1 ¼4.40 cm, K¼0.60, C¼0.95, WP¼0.35. Recruitment was estimated to start in September and was extended to the following months. Estimates of longevity ranged from 20 to 62 months. A mortality rate of 2.21 was estimated based on the length converted catch curve. The cephalothoracic length of males and females showed, respectively, positive and negative allometry with both cephalothoracic width and crab weight.

Xiphopenaeus kroyeri is the most exploited shrimp specie along Center-South coast of Santa Catarina State, Brazil, by artisanal fishery. In the period from March/1996 to February/1997, 3965 shrimps were collected (1843 males and 2122 females) sampled by over-trawl, with the depth oscillating between 5 and 15 meters. Xiphopenaeus kroyeri shows seasonal fluctuations in its abundance with higher rates in autumn. The population's average total-length varied between 7.5cm and 9.1cm, and the presence of juveniles was common along the year. The males and females get to the first gonadal maturation with 7.4 cm and 9.0 cm length, respectively; these lengths were reached within 6 and 8 months of age

From January to December 1995, 332

ABSTRACT. Population structure of PortllllllS spillimalllls Latreille (C rustacea, Portunidae) in the Armação do Itapocoroy, Penha, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Por/w llIs Spilli llll/IIUS Latreille, 18 19 is one abundant P0I1lmidae specics which are eaught by sea-bob-shrimp's artisanal fi shery in Armação do ltapoeoroy, Penha, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Aillling to analyze its population strueture, a total of 995 males and 1925 females were eolleeted by Illeans of overtrawl from January to December 1995, between lhe depths of6lO 10 Illeters, in lhe periods of morning, ufternoon and evening. The width variation of the earapaec ranged from 3.0 to 14.0 em in the males and 3.0 to 11 .0 em in femu les. The species presents growth isometrie and lhe males reaeh width and weight ass intotie and bigger that the female . The estimated first maturation wid th was belween 6.8 and 7.6 em, reaehed with the approximated age of 15 months. The artisanal fishery in Armação do Itapocoroy is aeling with a higher intensity over the juvenile stock. KEY WORDS . Po rtl/l/us spinillll/nu.I', population structure. artisanal fishery o siri-candeia ou siri-canela Porfunus spiniman.us Latreille, 1819, apresenta ampl a distribuição geográfica no Atlântico Ocidental , OCOITendo de New Jersey (EUA) ao Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (Bras il), onde hab ita águas salobras de canais e baías com fundos de areia, lama e conchas quebradas; são capturados a partir da zona de maré até 90 m de profundidade (MELO 1996).Apesar da sua freqüênc ia nos arrastos dirigidos à pesca de camarão, tamanho e sabor da carne adequados ao consumo humano , ex istem poucas informações sobre a biologia da espécie no litoral bras ile iro (MESQU ITA 1972; SANTOS et ai. 1995a).Es te trabalho tem como objetivo caracteri zar a estrutura populacional de P. spinimanus na Armação do Itapocoroy, Penhas (Santa Catarina), fornecendo subsíd ios para uma expl oração racional desse recurso. MATERIAL E MÉTODOSDurante o período de janeiro a dezembro de 1995 fo ram rea l izadas co letas mensais nos turnos da manhã, tarde e noite, e a cada estação do ano, coletas de 24 horas com intervalo de 4 horas entre os arrastos na Armação do Itapoco roy , Penha (26°46 ' -26°47' S e 48°36 ' -48°37' W ). A profundidade na área dos arrastos variou entre 6,0 a 10 ,0 m, com fundo arenoso nas partes rasas e co m sed im ento

ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to provide information on the biology of a subtropical population of the hermit crab Petroc!tirus diogenes focusing size structu re, sex ratio, reproductive period and morphometric relationships. Monthly samples were done between January and December 1995 at Armayao of [tapocoroy , Penha, southern Brazil , using two over-trawls in depths from 6.0 to 10.0 m. A total of 126 indi viduals were collected. Overall sex ratio did not differ from I: I. When the sex ratio was analyzed for each size class, it was skewed for females in the smal lest size classes while males outn umbered fema les in the largest ones. The mean size (cephalothoracic length) of P. diogenes was 30.61 ± 12.52 mm and the size structure of thi s populati on was skewed to the right. Males were on average larger and heavierthan both ovigerous and non-ovigerous females , which, in turn, showed similar sizes and weights. The ovigerous females represented 6 1 % of all females and occurred from January to April and in September and December. The relationship of cephalothoracic length and both cephalothoracic width and crab weight were i ometri c. Both crab size and weight showed a negati ve allometry with shell weight, indi cating that larger/heavier crabs use proportionally lighter shell s than small-sized ones.

In the period of January and December, 1995, there