Population structure and reproductive period of whitebelly prawn Nematopalaemon schmitti (Holthuis 1950) (Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae) on the southeastern coast of Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Bathymetric distribution of the shrimp Rimapenaeus constrictus (Stimpson, 1874) (Decapoda, Penaeidae) in two locations off the southeastern Brazilian coast

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mercury concentrations in south atlantic swordfish, Xiphias gladius, Caught off the Coast of Brazil

This study evaluated the concentrations of mercury in fillets (anterior, middle, and end regions) from the swordfish, Xiphias gladius, and the relationships between mercury concentration and fish weight, as well as the region of collection. Of a total of 697 swordfish analyzed, 11 had mercury concentrations above 1 mg/kg, 421 were between 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg, and 265 were below 0.5 mg/kg. The anterior and posterior regions had greater concentrations of mercury than the middle region, and fish caught off the northern coast of Brazil had a higher concentration than those caught off the southern coast. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Reproductive biology of Hepatus pudibundus (Crustacea: Brachyura), the most abundant crab on the southeastern Brazilian coast

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Temporal and spatial distribution of the commercial shrimp Litopenaeus schmitti (Dendrobranchiata: Penaeidae) in the south-eastern Brazilian coast

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Environmental factors modulating the abundance and distribution of Callinectes danae (Decapoda: Portunidae) from two areas of the southeastern coast of Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Reproductive cycle of the swimming crab Portunus spinimanus Latreille (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) from Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Bouchardia rosea, a vanishing brachiopod species of the Brazilian platform: taphonomy, historical ecology and conservation paleobiology

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Taphonomy of Bouchardia rosea (Rhynchonelliformea, Brachiopoda) shells from Ubatuba Bay, Brazil: implications for the use of taphonomic signatures in (paleo)environmental analysis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Larval stages of Stenocionops furcatus (Olivier, 1791) (Decapoda : Brachyura : Majoidea) and a reappraisal of larval morphological characters for Mithracidae

Stenocionops furcatus is a spider crab found in the western Atlantic, from Georgia, USA to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on sand, coral, rocks or mud bottoms from the intertidal zone to 180 m. We describe all laboratory-reared larval stages of S. furcatus obtained from the northern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil, and compare our data with existing larval descriptions for the genus and other mithracids. The larval development of S. furcatus consists of two zoeal stages and one megalopa. The durations of the first and second zoeal stage were similar to4 and 5 days respectively, the megalopa appearing 10-18 days after hatching. Our results show that the zoeae of S. furcatus differ from those of other Mithracidae by possessing four setae on the proximal lobe of the coxal endite of the maxilla, instead of five, and by the presence of mid-dorsal setae on the third abdominal somite in the second zoeal stage, which are lacking in other mithracids. Larval descriptions for Stenocionops in two previous publications were attributed to the subspecies S. furcatus coelatus from the Caribbean. Larvae from Brazilian waters closely resemble one of these accounts, suggesting that this taxon extends beyond the West Indies and that the other description represents larvae of S. furcatus furcatus. Additional morphological details, not available previously, are provided.

Spatial and seasonal distributions of Callinectes danae (Decapoda, Portunidae) in Ubatuba Bay, São Paulo, Brazil

The spatial and seasonal distributions of Callinectes danae Smith, 1869, in Ubatuba Bay, São Paulo, Brazil, were investigated as a part of a broad study on the general biology of portunids along the northern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. Swimming crabs were collected during one year, from September 1995 to August 1996, along eight transects determined according to local physiographic features. Three replicate trawls were performed monthly at each transect. Depth. salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, organic matter content, and texture of the sediment were measured. Callinectes danae individuals were concentrated in shallow water close to the discharge of estuaries where the bottom is composed of fine and very fine sand. The species was more abundant in the warmer months. During the study period, C. danae exhibited continuous reproduction with a peak of reproductive intensity in June. Within this area, some sites are particularly favorable for C. danae establishment due to a combination of factors and prevailing local conditions.

Population structure and breeding season of the South Atlantic hermit crab, Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura, Diogenidae) from the Ubatuba region, Brazil

A population of Loxopagurus loxochelis was studied in terms of seasonal abundance, size frequency distribution, sex ratio, and reproductive period (percentage of ovigerous females). Specimens were collected monthly over a period of two years (from September 1995 to August 1997) in the non-consolidated areas of the Ubatuba, Mar Virado, and Ubatumirim bays (northern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil) with a double-rig trawl net. A total of 1,084 individuals were analysed. Animal size (minimum, maximum, and mean +/- SD shield length) was 2.8, 9.1, and 6.88 +/- 1.13 mm for 625 males; 2.8, 8.2, and 5.78 +/- 0.98 mm for 236 non-ovigerous females; and 4.6, 8.0, and 6.24 +/- 0.68 mm for 223 ovigerous females, respectively. Sexual dimorphism was recorded by the presence of males in the largest size classes. The sex ratio was 1.4 : 1 in favour of males. The highest incidence of ovigerous females occurred during winter and spring (June to October), with a low percentage in summer and fall (November to May), indicating continuity in the reproductive cycle. This strategy of reproduction is related to temperature. The occurrence of L. loxochelis in the Ubatuba region represents the final point of northern distribution of this species as a function of water mass influence, and could be its real limit on the Atlantic coast of South America.

Composição e abundância dos caranguejos (Decapoda, Brachyura) nas regiões de Ubatuba e Caraguatatuba, litoral norte paulista, Brasil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Viés Analítico em Estudos Tafonômicos com Macroinvertebrados: Implicações (Paleo)Ambientais e (Paleo)Ecológicas

A review of recent literature shows that most taphonomic studies of Holocene and fossil macrovertebrates are not methodologically standardized. Hence, results from distinct studies are not comparable, even among researches sharing virtually identical goals, targeting the same biological group of similar age and depositional environment. The effects of the shell size in the taphonomic analysis are still poorly understood. In order to study this issue, the taphonomic signatures (articulation, valve type, fragmentation, abrasion, corrosion, edge modification, color alteration, bioerosion and encrustation) of brachiopod shells (Bouchardia rosea (Mawe)), from Ubatuba Bay in the northern coast of São Paulo State, were investigated according to the sieve sizes. In the study area, 14 collecting stations were sampled via Van Veen grab sampler, along a bathymetric gradient, ranging from 0 to 35 m of depth. Bulk samples were sieved through 8 mm, 6 mm, and 2 mm mesh sizes, yielding a total of 5.204 shells. The results indicate that, when taphonomic signatures were independently analyzed per size classes (8 mm, 6 mm, and 2 mm), the taphonomic signatures are recorded in a complex and random way. Additionally, cluster analysis showed that the similarity among the clusters vary according to the considered sieve size. Thus, the sieve size plays an important role in the distribution of taphonomic signatures in shells of distinct sizes. These results suggest that the concentration of the taphonomic analysis on one class (e.g., the largest sieve size, 8 mm) is not always the best method. Rather, the total data (all sieves included) seems more accurate in recording the whole spectrum of taphonomic processes recorded in shells of a given assemblage.

Reproductive modes and fecundity of an assemblage of anuran amphibians in the Atlantic rainforest, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)