Burrow fidelity in the blue crab, Cardisoma crassum Smith, 1870 (Brachyura: Gecarcinidae) from the Ponuga River, Veraguas, Panama

EFECTO DE ETIQUETAS PIT EN LA CONDICIÓN DE Cardisoma crassum (BRACHYURA: GECARCINIDAE) EN CAUTIVERIO, DE HICACO, VERAGUAS, PANAMÁ

“…Several techniques have been used to tag individual animals for the purpose of studying their movement, habitat use, behavior, physiology and survival (Haddaway et al, 2011;Lauzon-Guay and Scheibling, 2008;Lombardo and Rojas, 2022).…”

“…The Blue Crab Cardisoma crassum, Smith 1870 is an important fishery resource and common resident of mangrove ecosystems in the Panamanian Pacific (Lombardo and Rojas, 2022;Vega et al, 2018). To date, aquaculture of C. crassum remains undeveloped in the country and there are only two published studies on C. crassum from Panama.…”

“…To date, aquaculture of C. crassum remains undeveloped in the country and there are only two published studies on C. crassum from Panama. Vega et al, (2018) described the blue crab artisanal fishery, while Lombardo and Rojas (2022) provided the first report of burrow fidelity in C. crassum, from the northeastern side of the Montijo Gulf. In the latter, burrow fidelity was evaluated with a mark-recapture method using an external mark of enamel paint https://revistas.up.ac.pa/index.php/scientia/ https://revistas.up.ac.pa/index.php/scientia/ (Fig.…”

“…This allowed tracking of individuals for a limited time period that ended with the onset of moulting and/or when individuals sealed themselves inside burrows (Fig. 1B) by placing a mud plug at the burrow entrance (Lombardo and Rojas, 2022). The above scenario implies that studies requiring extended follow-up of individuals in captivity or in the wild might be limited because the identity of post-moult and reemerging blue crabs (externally marked) is uncertain due to mark loss or burrow ownership changes prior to burrow plugging (Lombardo and Rojas, 2022).…”

“…1B) by placing a mud plug at the burrow entrance (Lombardo and Rojas, 2022). The above scenario implies that studies requiring extended follow-up of individuals in captivity or in the wild might be limited because the identity of post-moult and reemerging blue crabs (externally marked) is uncertain due to mark loss or burrow ownership changes prior to burrow plugging (Lombardo and Rojas, 2022). In this context, internally implanted PIT tags would allow accurate individual identity tracking over long time periods without the risk associated with external tag loss.…”