Reproductive aspects of the caridean shrimp Atya scabra (Leach, 1815) (Decapoda: Atyidae) in Sao Sebastiao Island, southwestern Atlantic, Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The caridean freshwater shrimp Atya scabra is a common resident of stream systems of tropical rainforests in America, including Brazilian drainages. This shrimp has an amphidromous life cycle, which increases its vulnerability when facing habitat fragmentation. Since information on the reproduction of this species is still limited, we present here data on egg production, egg loss, and energy investment, to achieve a better understanding of reproductive features of A. scabra. Specimens were collected between 2006 and 2007 in São Sebastião Island, southeastern Brazil, in 13 locations. The fecundity of 21 ovigerous females analyzed ranged between 414 and 19,250 eggs, which were higher than previously reported. However, the larger size of females analyzed may explain the observed intraspecific difference in egg production. During embryogenesis, egg volume and water content increased by 103 and 22.6%, respectively. The initial egg volume of A. scabra in the present study (0.027 mm 3 ) was slightly lower, but comparable to the values reported previously from the same study area. During incubation, females of A. scabra lost 15% of their initially produced eggs. The reproductive output (average RO of 3.6%) is the first report for any atyid species. Its value is fairly low compared to other freshwater shrimps, and it is hypothesized that this might be related to a high energy investment in morphological adaptations, which allows the shrimp to cling on to the substrate in the fast flowing environment they inhabit. Additionally, the long life span, a well-known phenomenon in atyid shrimp, may allow the species to invest a relatively low amount of energy per brood in egg production, but over a longer time span. Keywords: amphidromy, fecundity, neotropical, reproductive output, southwestern Atlantic, Brazil.Aspectos reproductivos del camarón carideo Atya scabra (Leach, 1815) (Decapoda: Atyidae) en la isla de São Sebastião, Atlántico sudoccidental, Brasil RESUMEN. El camarón carídeo de agua dulce, Atya scabra, es un residente común del sistema de arroyos de los bosques tropicales de América, incluyendo drenajes brasileños. Este camarón tiene un ciclo de vida anfídromo, lo que aumenta su vulnerabilidad al enfrentar la fragmentación del hábitat. Dado que la información sobre la reproducción de esta especie es todavía limitada, se presentan datos sobre producción de huevos, pérdida de huevos e inversión energética, para lograr una mejor comprensión de los aspectos reproductivos de A. scabra. Los especímenes fueron recolectados entre 2006 y 2007 en la isla São Sebastião, al sureste de Brasil, en 13 localidades. La fecundidad de las 21 hembras ovígeras analizadas varió entre 414 y 19,250 huevos, valores que son más altos que los reportados previamente, sin embargo, el mayor tamaño de las hembras analizadas podría explicar la diferencia intraespecífica en la producción de huevos. Durante la embriogénesis, el volumen del huevo y el contenido de agua aumentó en 103 y 22,6%, respectivamente. El volumen inicial del huevo de A...

Population biology of the freshwater shrimp Atya scabra (Leach, 1816) (Crustacea: Decapoda) in São Francisco River, Brazil: evidence from a population at risk of extinction

“…The number of individuals sampled in this study (N = 233) is low when compared to a study by Almeida et al (2010) (N = 3752) in Bahia, but higher than that reported by Herrera-Correal et al (2013) (N = 74) in São Paulo, both of which were carried out in Brazil. The difference in the number of individuals sampled may be related mainly to the methodology (sampling period and methods) and the geological characteristics of the river being sampling.…”

The influence of environmental variables in the reproductive performance of Macrobrachium amazonicum (Heller, 1862) (Caridea: Palaemonidae) females in a continental population

“…increases with female size in caridean shrimps, decapods, and crustaceans in general (e.g. Reid and Corey 1991, Anger and Moreira 1998, Correa and Thiel 2003, Lara and Wehrtmann 2009, Tamburus et al 2012, Herrera-Correal et al 2013.…”

Reproductive biology of the sea anemone shrimp Periclimenes rathbunae (Caridea, Palaemonidae, Pontoniinae), from the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica

“…To our best knowledge, here we report the first RO value for any pontoniine species (Table 2). The RO of Periclimenes rathbunae females (0.24) was higher than that reported for some free-living marine shrimps: 14.4 ± 2.5% for Palaemon northropi (Rankin, 1898) (see Anger and Moreira 1998) and 17.8 ± 6.0% for Heterocarpus vicarius Faxon, 1893 (see Echeverría-Sáenz and Wehrtmann 2011); and freshwater shrimps: 18.6 ± 3.0% for Palaemon pandaliformis (Stimpson, 1871) (see Anger and Moreira 1998), 19.1 ± 4.5% for Macrobrachium acanthurus (Wiegmann, 1836) (see Anger and Moreira 1998), 21.7 ± 6.6% for Macrobrachium olfersii (Wiegmann, 1836) (see Anger and Moreira 1998), and 3.6 ± 1.9% for Atya scabra (Leach, 1816) (see Herrera-Correal et al 2013). These results suggest that marine caridean shrimps species living in association with other invertebrates are able to invest on average more energy in brood production than free-living species.…”