This study presents a list of 142 species collected on the outer continental shelf and seamounts from northeast Brazil at 24 oceanographic stations in May, 1998. References are provided from which all the present taxa identifications are based on.

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The complete larval development of the ghost shrimp Lepidophthalmus siriboia Felder & Rodrigues, 1993 was described and illustrated in detail from specimens reared in the laboratory. Ovigerous females were collected at Canela Island in the northeastern region of the State of Pará. The larvae hatch as a prezoea, in which they persist for less than 3 hours. The larval development consists of three zoeal stages and a megalopa. The zoeal development averaged from 69 to 111 hours. The period in the megalopa stage was about 185 hours (about 8 days). The percentage of individuals succeeding in molt into juvenile stage was 91,8%. The first juvenile stage was reached 254 hours (about 10 days) after hatching. Morphological comparisons and their relationship with larvae of congeneric species are briefly discussed.

This study investigated the composition and spatial distribution of the sublittoral decapods on the reefs of Porto de Galinhas Beach, southern coast of Pernambuco, Brazil, through the Underwater Visual Census technique. Data were collected monthly, at night during full-moon tides in low tide periods from June 2004 to May 2005, using SCUBA diving and a visual census with a fixed belt transect (20 m long). Three sampling areas were defined: Confined Waters (low hydrodynamics) with shallow sites (up to 2.5 m deep); Semi-open Water (3 to 6 m deep), influenced by waves and tidal currents (moderate hydrodynamics); and Open Water (7 to 10 m deep), in the breaker zone (high hydrodynamics). A total of 6,287 individuals of 34 species belonging to the infraorders Brachyura (19 species), Achelata and Anomura (5 species each), Caridea (3 species), and Stenopodidea and Astacidea (1 species each) were collected. Two decapod assemblages were distinguished: in a habitat with low hydrodynamics and shallow (Confined) water; and in a habitat with moderate to high hydrodynamics and depths of 3 to 10 m (Semi-open and Open water). At the sites with high hydrodynamics, i.e., the Open-water Area in the breaker zone, decapod diversity was significantly lower than in the other, protected areas on the reef bench. These results suggest that the distribution of subtidal decapods on coastal reefs is influenced by depth and exposure to water stress caused by waves and currents (hydrodynamics). The visual census technique with SCUBA proved to be suitable for ecological studies on subtidal decapods.

ABSTRACT. PROPOSAL OF CLASS IFICATlON OF THE FAMILY XANTHIDAE(CRUSTACEA,DECAPODA, BRACHYURA)BASEDON NUMERJCAL TAXONOMY. Severa! fami!ies were added in the past in order to constitute the Xanthidae , but the boundaries between Xanthidae , Parthenopidae and Goneplacidae were diluted , and the c1assification of some genera doubtful. By this reason was made the ana lysis of a typica! genus of each subfamily occurring in Brazi l. 50 characters were selected and coded as (O) for absence and (1) for presence. The data matrix was analysed by computer programs NTSYS and NMIX. The phenetic analysis shows the Xanthidae as a good family, but the c1adistic one (Wagner tree) split them in four families: Carpiliidae, Xanthidae (with the subfamilies Menippinae, Platyxanthinae, Xanthinae and Eucratopsinae), Eriphiidae and Pilumnidae (with the subfamiliesTrapeziinae and Pilumninae). Redescriptions and identifications keys for the proposed families and subfamiJies are presented . KEY WORDS. Brachyura, Xanthidae, systematic, numerical taxonomy A classificação dos Decapoda em geral, e dos Brachyura em particular, é uma tarefa difícil, acerca da qual os especialistas dificilmente estão de acordo. A família Xanthidae, tal como é adimitida tradicionalmente (BALLS, 1957), é uma das mais numerosas entre os Brachyura, ultrapassando os Majidae e compreende 928 espécies no mundo (CHACE, 1951 apud GUINOT, 1978 e cerca de 100 espécies no Brasil, porém são muito difíceis de identificar, tanto para os carcinólogos, como para os biólogos em geral. Com efeito, como são numerosas e abundantes as espécies existentes em ambientes facilmente acés-síveis, como os arrecifes e os estuários, ocorrendo desde a beira da praia até as maiores profundidades, seriam o objeto adequado para pesquisas fisiológicas, ecológicas, etc., porém as dificuldades na identificação são muito grandes, seja pela imprecisão das diagnoses dos gêneros e subfamílias, como pela falta de chaves atualizadas para as espécies.Os limites entre as famílias Xanthidae, Parthenopidae e Goneplacidae nunca ficaram bem caracterizados, sendo discutida, ~ posição sistemática de vários gêneros. Além disto, autoridades como ALCqQK (1893) e BORRA-

h i g h l i g h t s• The significance and importance of scientific diving to study decapods. • Scientific diving allows access to specific decapod assemblages.• The most endangered trade decapods can be targeted on nocturnal dives. • We present an ecological database for subtidal and intertidal decapods. • The first ecological baseline data for decapods in the tropical coastal reefs. a b s t r a c tDecapods play a crucial role within the reef ecosystem and the development of scuba diving as a survey tool has allowed researchers the opportunity to study the decapod-reef relationship more comprehensively. The present study describes the differences in decapod assemblages in intertidal and subtidal zones at a tropical coastal reef system in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean and reports the importance of scuba diving as a survey technique. A total of 71 decapods were recorded during the research; 42 in the intertidal zone mainly formed by small endobenthic species and 39 in the subtidal zone primarily large species only 10 were found to frequent both sample zones. The study extends the range of Brachycarpus holthuisi Fausto Filho 1966 in Brazil; and also demonstrates how scuba diving can be used to complement traditional methodologies and vice versa. The research shows the advantages of using scuba diving when studying trade endangered decapods, as the methodology allows access to cryptic habitats such as reef caves and underwater cavities which were inaccessible when using traditional techniques. In conclusion scuba diving represents a revolutionary non-destructive survey tool allowing the researcher to directly access a specific decapod assemblage in fragile reef environments and in protected marine areas.

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The promising scenario for shrimp farming has been stimulated by the adoption of super-intensive production systems with little or no water exchange, which have shown positive results in terms of yield and sustainability (Crab et al., 2012). Among these new technologies with the minimum use of water, recirculating aquaculture systems, biofloc technology and system synbiotic stand out (Andrade