Population structure and breeding period of Pachycheles monilifer (Dana) (Anomura, Porcellanidae) inhabiting sabellariid sand reefs from the littoral coast of São Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The purpose of the present study is to examine the population structure and the breeding period of Pachycheles lIIonilifer (Dana, 1852) inhabiting sabellariid worm reefs in the littoral of Sao Paulo State coast. The specimens were obtained at 2-month intervals from Seplember/94 to July/95. The study sites were located at the rocky shores ofTen6rio and Paranapua Beaches. Individuals sampled showed a total averaged 4.4 ± 1.4 mm carapace length. Ovigerous females were more frequent in September. Despite clear differences regarding the arrangement of these sabellariid colonies, they are extremely important to the establishment and maintenance of P.lI1onilifer.

Reproductive Biology of the Flattened Porcelain Crab, Petrolisthes Rufescens (Porcellanidae: Anomura: Crustacea) From Ain Sukhna, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

“…In the flattened porcelain crab, chelae are used for defense and reproduction functions, but do not employ for feeding (Barnard, 1950;Rypien and Palmer, 2007). On the other hand, broadness of the females abdomen is useful to perform its function for carrying and protecting incubated eggs and helps maintain the continuous circulation of oxygenated water over the eggs carried on her underside (Hartnoll, 1974;Schembri, 1982 Fouda, 2000) and agrees well with that mentioned by Ahmed and Mustaquim (1974) on the same species collected from Manora Island, Karachi, Pakistan, where gravid females appear annually from January to November, and with those recorded from subtropical (Fransozo and Bertini, 2001) and temperate decapods (Schembri, 1982).…”

“…Porcelain crabs are much alike true crabs (brachyurans) but they can easily distinguished from them by possessing uropods and their small, dorsally directed 5 th pair (last walking pairs) of legs under the carapace (Barnard, 1950;Fransozo and Bertini, 2001; Osawa and McLaughlin, 2010). These crabs belong to family Porcellanidae Haworth, 1825 (Anomura: Decapoda), which comprises about 27 to 30 genera including from 225 to 277 species (Melo, 1999;Fransozo and Bertini, 2001; Osawa and McLaughlin, 2010), most of them are worldwide in distribution, occupying a variety of littoral habitats living in hard substrates within crevices or under boulders and even in bottom covered by calcareous algae, excepting rare species living in the deep sea (Veloso and Melo, 1993).…”

“…These crabs belong to family Porcellanidae Haworth, 1825 (Anomura: Decapoda), which comprises about 27 to 30 genera including from 225 to 277 species (Melo, 1999;Fransozo and Bertini, 2001; Osawa and McLaughlin, 2010), most of them are worldwide in distribution, occupying a variety of littoral habitats living in hard substrates within crevices or under boulders and even in bottom covered by calcareous algae, excepting rare species living in the deep sea (Veloso and Melo, 1993).…”

Larval and adult density of the porcellanid crab Petrolisthes armatus (Anomura: Porcellanidae) in an Amazon estuary, northern Brazil

“…FRANSOZO & BERTINI (2001) identified some porcellanid species that present seasonal reproduction, and others that breed throughout the year. Petrolisthes boscii (Audovim, 1826), P. rufescens (Heller, 1861), P. elongatus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837), and P. vanderhorsli Haig, 1956 are all known to reproduce seasonally in some parts of the world (LEWIS 1960, WEAR 1965, AHMED & MUSTAQUIM 1974.…”

Abundância das larvas de Porcellanidae (Decapoda, Anomura) no meroplâncton do estuário do Rio Caeté, estuário amazônico brasileiro

“…A maioria é proveniente de águas costeiras, litorâneas e sublitorâneas, habitando entre algas, corais, esponjas, fissuras de rochas e sob pedras, sendo raro o seu registro em grandes profundidades (Rodriguez, 1980;Veloso, 1999). Os porcelanídeos também são encontrados em associação com outros organismos, por exemplo, habitando galerias do poliqueto Phragmatopoma lapidosa Kimberg (1867) e sendo parasitados pelo isópode Aporobopyrus curtatus (Richardson, 1904) (Pinheiro et al, 1997;Oliveira & Masunari, 1998;Micheletti-Flores & Negreiros-Fransozo, 1999;Fransozo & Bertini, 2001;Miranda & Mantelatto, 2010).…”