Temporal variation in the weight-size relationship of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus L. (Decapoda: Ucididae) in relation to its life cycle phases

The relationship between weight and size of individuals can be used to evaluate the status of a population, which is particularly useful for natural populations that are being exploited. Ucides cordatus occurs on the Atlantic coast of the American continent, from Florida (USA) to Santa Catarina (Brazil). This species is economically very important, most of all in the Northeastern area of Brazil, as well as in the Dominican Republic and Suriname. The objective of this study was to analyze life phases (‘fattening’, ‘matumba’, ‘milk-crab’, ‘maturation’ and ‘walking’) by use of the weight-length relationships, as well as temporal variations in this condition factor for each sex of U. cordatus. For this purpose, individuals were sampled monthly for twenty-four months at the Jaguaribe River estuary, Ceará State, Northeastern Brazil. The relationship between total weight and cephalothorax width was established using regression analysis, adjusted by a power equation. The dynamics of the condition factor were analyzed for each sex using the variation of its averages related to annual life cycle; this was done for each of the previously-mentioned phases. The relationship between total weight and cephalothorax width showed an isometric growth in males and negative allometric growth in females suggesting that, for the same reference size, males are heavier than females. When considering the average of the female condition factors, these were greater than those for males during the annual life cycle, except during the ‘maturation’ phase, which is the phase with a higher demand of energetic reserves for males. Annual variation of the condition factor in females presented no significant difference.

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Health State, morphological characterization and biometric parameters in the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus Linnaeus, 1763 (Brachyura: Ocypodidae)

Acta Scientiarum Biological Sciences ◽

10.4025/actascibiolsci.v42i1.47430 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 42 ◽

pp. e47430

Author(s):

Pedro Alexandre Valentim-Neto ◽

Tereza Cristina Vasconcelos Gesteira

Keyword(s):

Rainy Season ◽

Suspended Solids ◽

River Estuary ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Opportunistic Pathogen ◽

Abnormal Behavior ◽

Health State ◽

Ucides Cordatus ◽

Mangrove Crab ◽

Significant Difference

The crab Ucides cordatus is an important feature of mangroves in the North and Northeast of Brazil. In 2002 a large mortality was reported on this species in the Jaguaribe River Estuary. In order to investigate the possible causes specimens were collected monthly between May 2002 and December 2003 at five sites: Fortim (E1), Fortim (E2), Cumbe (E3) Aracati (E4) and Guajiru (E5). The mangrove structure and environmental parameters (salinity, pH, temperature and DO) were also evaluated. Water was collected for suspended solids analysis, BOD and nutrient levels. Salinity decreased in the rainy season, with no significant variation of pH and temperature. Dissolved oxygen levels had a mean of 5.7 mg L-1. Suspended solids increased at site E4, with BOD varying at E1 and E2 during the dry season. The same was observed at sites E1, E2 and E3 during the rainy season. Ammonia levels at E1 and E2 and phosphorus in all seasons, increased with rain events. Four lines of investigation were adopted: biometry, histology, hematology, and bioassay. There was no significant difference between animals in biometrics and histology showed no cellular alterations. However, hematology showed a significant difference between the E1 and E3 sites due to depletion in the number of hemocytes in E1, probably in response to environmental impacts. This can lead to poor immunity, leading to opportunistic pathogen infections such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. The bioassay showing no abnormal behavior or mortality. The structure the of mangrove was developed in all areas, except in E5 which served as a control site, with significant environmental stress with high levels of herbivorous growth (> 50%) and a salinity of around 50 ‰. It is believed that the mortality of the crabs was an occasional occurrence, probably due to toxin production by some fungal organism.

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Length-weight relationship and condition factor of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ucididae)

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology ◽

10.1590/s1516-89132009000200017 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 52 (2) ◽

pp. 397-406 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Marcelo Antonio Amaro Pinheiro ◽

Ana Gláucia Fiscarelli

Keyword(s):

Condition Factor ◽

The Other ◽

Allometric Growth ◽

Ucides Cordatus ◽

Mangrove Crab ◽

Wet Weight ◽

The Mean ◽

Autumn And Winter ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

The relationship of wet weight (WT) to cephalothorax width (CW) and temporal and seasonal variations in the condition factor were analyzed for each sex of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus, using specimens collected monthly from September 1998 through September 2000, at Iguape, state of São Paulo. The WT/CW relationship, determined by the regression analysis and the condition factor were evaluated individually, monthly and seasonally, for each sex. The WT/CW relationship indicated isometric growth in males and negative allometric growth in females. Body weight was higher in males than in females of equivalent size and this difference was associated with the males' faster growth and heavier chelipeds. On the other hand, the means for condition factor were always higher for females than for males; the mean condition factor was lower in spring and summer and higher in autumn and winter.

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Life cycle ofTrichostrongylus retortaeformisin its natural host, the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1079/joh2002126 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 76 (3) ◽

pp. 189-192 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

F. Audebert ◽

H. Hoste ◽

M.C. Durette-Desset

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Oryctolagus Cuniculus ◽

Life Cycles ◽

Prepatent Period ◽

Natural Host ◽

Patent Period ◽

Free Living ◽

The Third ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Relationship

AbstractThe chronology of the life cycle ofTrichostrongylus retortaeformis(Zeder, 1800) (Nematoda, Trichostrongyloidea) is studied in its natural hostOryctolagus cuniculus. The free living period lasted 5 days at 24°C. Worm-free rabbits were each infectedper oswithT. retortaeformislarvae. Rabbits were killed at 12 h post-infection (p.i.) and every day from one day to 13 days p.i. By 12 h p.i., all the larvae were exsheathed and in the small intestine. The third moult occurred between 3 and 5 days p.i. and the last moult between 4 and 7 days p.i. The prepatent period lasted 12 to 13 days. The patent period lasted five and a half months. The four known life cycles of species ofTrichostrongylusin ruminants were compared with that ofT. retortaeformis. No significant difference was found except in the duration of the prepatent period. These similarities in the life cycles confirm the previously formulated hypotheses on the relationship between the parasites of the two host groups ().

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Status of the population structure of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Decapoda: Ocypodidae) on the Piraquê-açu River estuary, Espírito Santo, Brazil

Brazilian Journal of Oceanography ◽

10.1590/s1679-87592010000200001 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 81-92 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Rita de Cássia Conti ◽

Rosebel Cunha Nalesso

Keyword(s):

Salinity Gradient ◽

Carapace Width ◽

River Estuary ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

Mangrove Forests ◽

Ucides Cordatus ◽

Management Actions ◽

Mangrove Crab ◽

Crab Density ◽

The Mean

The land crab Ucides cordatus is a keystone species of neotropical mangrove forests and an important resource of the artisanal fisheries. The spatial and temporal distribution of U. cordatus in the mangrove area of the Piraquê-açu river estuary was determined following a longitudinal estuarine salinity gradient (lower, middle, upper estuary) and along the vertical intertidal gradient. The numbers of open and closed burrows were counted monthly on fixed transects, the inhabiting crabs were caught, sexed and the carapace width measured, during 1 year. The mean crab density was 2.5 ind.m-². The highest crab density (3.9 ind.m-²), linked to high numbers of juvenile crabs, was found on the upper estuary and correlated with lower salinities. High intertidal levels had higher crab densities than lower intertidal levels, except in the upper estuary. Males were smaller than females; the mean carapace width of the population was 4.89 cm, below the minimum legal harvesting size (6 cm). The predominance of females over males at some sites (especially close to villages) brought out the advanced level of overfishing of this U. cordatus population and highlights the urgent need of management actions.

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Commercial relationships between intermediaries and harvesters of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) in the Mamanguape River estuary, Brazil, and their socio-ecological implications

Ecological Economics ◽

10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.08.017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 131 ◽

pp. 44-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Douglas Macêdo Nascimento ◽

Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves ◽

Raynner Rilke Duarte Barboza ◽

Anders Jensen Schmidt ◽

Karen Diele ◽

...

Keyword(s):

River Estuary ◽

Ucides Cordatus ◽

Mangrove Crab ◽

Ecological Implications ◽

Commercial Relationships

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Orientation and external morphology of burrows of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Ucididae)

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315409000502 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 89 (6) ◽

pp. 1117-1123 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Camila M.H. dos Santos ◽

Marcelo A.A. Pinheiro ◽

Gustavo Y. Hattori

Keyword(s):

Larval Dispersal ◽

Developmental Stages ◽

External Morphology ◽

Laguncularia Racemosa ◽

Mangrove Forests ◽

Differential Growth ◽

Ucides Cordatus ◽

Mangrove Crab ◽

Significant Difference

The aim of the present study was to characterize the external morphology and the orientation of burrows constructed by the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus. Data were obtained from two mangrove forests of similar vegetation dominance (Laguncularia racemosa) but differing in flooding heights. These mangroves were located near Barra de Icapara, Iguape City (SP), Brazil, (24°50′36″S–47°59′53′W). A total of 221 burrows were examined (120 on the high mangrove and 101 on the low mangrove). External morphology of the burrows was recorded by photographs for categorization and description. The directions of the burrow openings were recorded using a geological compass and the declivities of the ducts were measured with a clinometer. Females constructed 70.8% at Site A and 69.4% at Site B of the occupied burrows with the opening facing the margin of the river (P < 0.001), whilst males showed no significant difference in the burrow orientation (P > 0.05) at either site. In females, the tendency for burrow orientation possibly has a reproductive connotation as larval dispersal may be favoured and enhanced by the tides. Four groups of distinct tracks related to the morphotypes and developmental stages of U. cordatus were observed. No sediment constructions associated with the burrows were recorded for this species. Declivity of the burrows from juveniles was lower than from adults (P < 0.05), probably caused by the differential growth of the chelipeds in this species.

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POPULATION BIOLOGY OF SEABOB-SHRIMP Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller, 1862) CAPTURED ON THE SOUTH COAST OF PERNAMBUCO STATE, NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Brazilian Journal of Oceanography ◽

10.1590/s1679-87592014079706204 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 62 (4) ◽

pp. 331-340 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Danilo Francisco Corrêa Lopes ◽

Emanuell Felipe Beserra da Silva ◽

Silvio Ricardo Maurano Peixoto ◽

Flavia Lucena Frédou

Keyword(s):

Population Dynamics ◽

Population Biology ◽

Carapace Length ◽

Total Weight ◽

South Coast ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Southern Coast ◽

Xiphopenaeus Kroyeri ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Relationship

This paper aims to describe the population dynamics and to evaluate the stock of the seabob-shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri on the coast of Pernambuco. Sampling was carried out between August/2011 and July/2012 in Sirinhaém, southern coast of Pernambuco. A total of 1201 individuals were analyzed, 673 females and 528 males. Total length (Lt) of females varied from 4.5 to 13.5 cm while the Lt of males ranged between 4.0 and 11.0 cm. The relationship between the Lt and carapace length and Lt and total weight showed negative allometry (males, females and pooled sexes). The slope of the curve "b" was statistically different between males and females for both relationships. Females mature with 8.90 cm. Asymptotic length L∞ was lower for males than for females (12.26 to 14.79 and 10.72 to 11.5 cm, respectively), K was similar between sexes (1.00-2.04 and 1.00-2.63 cm/year-1 respectively) as well as the longevity and size at 1st capture (1.50 to 1.97) years and 7.9 to 8.9 cm for males and females, respectively). The results indicate that X. kroyeri in the region is not overexploited for males, however considering females and pooled sexes the stock is near to being fully exploited.

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Bioecology of the crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Decapoda) in mangroves influenced by the Amazon River, Brazil

Acta Amazonica ◽

10.1590/s0044-59672014000200007 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 213-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Kárlia Dalla Santa Amaral ◽

Inácia Maria Vieira ◽

Frederico Moreira Osório ◽

Joana D'arc Mauricio Rocha ◽

Jô de Farias Lima

Keyword(s):

Stage Iv ◽

Reproductive Period ◽

Maturation Stage ◽

Brazilian Coast ◽

Linear Measurements ◽

Fishery Resource ◽

Female Ratio ◽

Ucides Cordatus ◽

Mangrove Crab ◽

Significant Difference

The mangrove crab (Ucides cordatus) is a valuable fishery resource, overfished along the Brazilian coast. This study aimed to obtain bioecological data on this crab along the coast of the State of Amapá. Six bimonthly samplings were conducted between December 2008 and January 2010. Transects were used to estimate the density (burrows m-2) and population abundance (individuals m-2). All the animals were subjected to biometrics, with females being classified according to their stage of gonadal maturation. The mean density (1.09 burrows m-2) and abundance (0.31 individuals m-2) were influenced by the climate with the highest values in summer (1.17 burrows m-2 and 0.34 individuals m-2). The male to female ratio was 1.38:1 showing significant difference in the proportion of sexes. The individuals showed sexual dimorphism, with linear measurements significantly higher in males. The sampled animals also had larger carapace length and width (CL and CW) compared to crabs studied in other Brazilian states. There was a positive relationship between CW and CL and individual weight (IW) and CW for males (R² = 0.83 and 0.90) and females (R² = 0.79 and 0.84). The growth was negative allometric (CL increases to a lesser extent than CW) for both sexes. The highest frequency of ovigerous females (78%) and in maturation stage IV (38%) occurred in the CW size class between 59.8 and 67.5 mm. The peak of mature females occurred in May and August, showing a reproductive period different from those in other Brazilian states.

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