Population dynamics of the mud crab Panopeus austrobesus Williams, 1983 (Brachyura: Panopeidae) associated with a mussel farm at the southeastern Brazilian coast

Abstract

Mussel farms are one of the most important modalities of aquaculture and constitute almost 80% of the total bivalve production in Brazil, representing about 5% of the national production. Brachyuran crabs are common inhabitants of these environments and represent an important link in coastal marine food chains. Th e aim of this investigation is to describe the population structure orIgInal artIcle Nauplius BraZIlIan crustacean socIety Nauplius orIgInal artIcle Nauplius BraZIlIan crustacean socIety Nauplius This article is part of the tribute offered by the Brazilian Crustacean Society

Population features of the pea crab Dissodactylus crinitichelis Moreira, 1901 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Pinoteridade) associated with the sand-dollar Encope emarginata (Echinodermata, Echinoidea) in the southeastern Brazilian coast

“…Despite the irregular presence of the ovigerous females, during the monthly collections, the recruitment was continuous, as reported for the most tropical and subtropical brachyuran crabs (see Cobo, 2006;Barros-Alves et al, 2013;Cunha, 2015;Camargo et al, 2017), which reinforces the suggestion of the spatial segregation for this population at this beach.…”

Spatio-temporal variation of the population structure and density of the shore crab Pachygrapsus gracilis (Grapsidae) in an estuary on the Brazilian Amazon coast

“…In the neighboring Caeté estuary, carapace lengths ranged from 7 mm to 14 mm (Diele et al, 2010), that is, the minimum length was substantially longer, and the maximum, shorter than those recorded in the Marapanim estuary. The differences in size that the same, widely-distributed species presents at different sites may be related to the influence of salinity, which can restrict growth due to the energy necessary for osmoregulation (Camargo et al, 2017).…”