Growth and reproduction of the mangrove crab Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Grapsidae) in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Goniopsis cruentata is a common semi-terrestrial crab in Brazilian mangroves and an important fishery resource for traditional communities in the northeastern Brazilian coast. Aiming to contribute to the knowledge about the species, this study evaluated the carapace width and weight growth curves, the relative growth of weight versus carapace width, and the temporal variation of gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices for the species. A total of 524 crabs were collected in a mangrove area of Ubatuba municipality, state of São Paulo. The growth-curves parameters and longevity (t max ) were estimated for males (CW∞=50.6 mm, WE=56.4 g, k=2.24, t 0 =0.003631502 year -1 , t max =1.3 years) and females (CW∞=50.7 mm, WE∞=58.8 g, k=2.50, t 0 =0.003247209 year -1 , t max =1.2 years). The age at onset of sexual maturity was 0.23 years for both genders. The weight-growth model was isometric for the immature developmental stages and allometric negative for adults. The species exhibited a continuous reproduction, with breeding peaks in spring and summer months. The weight dynamics of gonads and hepatopancreas were not clearly related. The growth and reproductive patterns indicated that Goniopsis cruentata has a life-history that prioritizes reproduction instead of survival. The species exhibited some of the highest growth rates and lowest longevity estimates reported for brachyuran species in Brazil.

Differentially expressed morphological characters depend on sex and ontogenetic stage in the crab Goniopsis cruentata (Crustacea: Grapsidae)

“…However, diverging from the results found in this study, Reis et al (2015) presented results for Goniopsis cruentata in which juvenile specimens showed negative allometry and adults positive allometry for the weight/growth relationship. Individual allometries for different locations observed in these crabs indicate that geographic variation (factors such as temperature) may influence the body size determination of Brachyura such as G. cruentata because, according to Lira et al (2015), local conditions influence variations in their biological characteristics.…”

“…Because of the lack of variation in the cephalothorax region's shape during the ontogenetic trajectory, we can infer that this region suffers a greater influence of sexual aspects, in which more enlarged females have greater reproductive success (the existence of hierarchy, for example). According to Reis et al (2015), G. cruentata has a life history that prioritizes reproduction over survival, and rapid growth provides selective advantages for both sexes, with fast-growing individuals reaching sexual maturity with larger bodies.…”

Population structure, mortality, and recruitment of Macrobrachium amazonicum (Heller, 1862) (Caridea: Palaemonidae) in the eastern Amazon region, Brazil

“…Notable topics for future studies include identifying characteristics that differentiate among populations in various environments (Nóbrega et al, 2014), determining whether reproduction is continuous or restricted to a time of year; genetic characteristics (Vergamini et al, 2011), maximum size for each sex, sex ratio, the size at which reproduction begins (Castilho et al, 2015), and recruitment and mortality patterns (Taddei et al, 2015). The data obtained in these studies serve as a basis for determining the minimum landing size, known as the size in the closed season, as well as making it possible to evaluate the somatic growth of individuals, all of which is essential information for cultivation and population management projects (Reis et al, 2015). Knowledge about the populations of M. amazonicum in freshwater environments, where it completes its life cycle, remains scarce and fragmented (Anger et al, 2009).…”

Does food partitioning vary in leaf-eating crabs in response to source quality?

“…A.3). The nitrogen demand of this species is due to its faster growth rate than that of U. cordatus (e.g., Pinheiro et al, 2005;Reis et al, 2015, Leite et al, 2014, De Lira et al, 2015. In animals, an investment in growth increases the nitrogen demand during foraging (Sterner and Elser, 2002).…”