Ucides cordatus cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) (Crustacea, Decapoda): complete larval development under laboratory conditions and its systematic position

Six zoeal stages and the megalopa of the comestible crab Ucides cordatus cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) are described and illustrated. The larvae were reared in the laboratory at temperature 25 ± 1ºC and water salinity of 24 ; duration of stages and survival rates were measured. Comparisons with the descriptions of the zoeal morphologic characters of Ocypodidae and Gecarcinidae permited to include definitively U. c. cordatus in the family Ocypodidae, subfamily Ocypodinae.

Desenvolvimento larval de Dardanus insignis (Saussure) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Diogenidae), em laboratório

The developmental stages of Dardanus insignis (Saussure, 1858) from first through eighth zoea and megalopa are described and illuslraled. The experiments were carried out involving 100 larvae, obtained from ovigerous females collected on the north littoral of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The larvae were kept in individual containers, with water of 34 salinity and fed with freshly hatched nauplii of Artemia; room temperature was maintained at 25±1ºC. The larval characters of this species are compared with Dardanus arrosor (Herbst, 1796). the only species of the genus that has also heen reared in laboratory.

Zoeal morphology of Pachygrapsus transversus (Gibbes) (Decapoda, Grapsidae) reared in the laboratory

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Análise comparativa entre a fecundidade de Dilocarcinus pagei Stimpson e Sylviocarcinus australis Magalhães & Turkay (Crustacea, Decapoda, Trichodactylidae) no Pantanal do Rio Paraguai, Porto Murtinho, Mato Grosso do Sul

The aim of this study was to estimate the fecundity of Dilocarcinus pagei Stimpson, 1861 and Sylviocarcinus australis Magalhães & Turkay, 1996, collected in the Paraguay River, Porto Murtinho County, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, between coordinates 21º42,000'S 57º33,649'W and 21º41,449'S 57º33,770'W, in the period of April 1999 to March 2000. After general collection procedures, the specimens were measured and processed in laboratory conditions. The river water crab species hatch like juveniles and, frequently, female specimens were observed carrying eggs in different stages of development, besides juveniles and eggs at the same time. It was apparent in the frequency distributions that D. pagei has a carapace width average greater than S. australis. The number of eggs and juveniles transported varied amongst species and amongst size class. A size superposition was observed between young and adult females for both species. According to the calculated fecundity index, D. pagei presented slightly more elevated values (7.41) than S. australis (6.65). Eggs are spherical and are not adhering to pleopods. Egg size did not varied during development, continuing with 2mm diameters.

Crescimento relativo do camarão canela Macrobrachium amazonicum (Heller) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Palaemonidae) em viveiros

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

Desenvolvimento juvenil de Hepatus pudibundus (Herbst) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Calappidae), em laboratório

The Hepatus pudibundus (Herbst, 1785) juvenile development was studied in laboratory, under the morphological and systematical stand points. The eight early juvenile stages were obtained from larvae hatched from eggs of two ovigerous females, collected at the northern coast of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The experiments were carried out in a climatically controlled room at 25 ± 1°C, and steady saltness of 34 . The youngs were maintened individually and food consisted of Artemia sp. nauplii and fragments of fish muscle.The first juvenile stage were particulary drawn and described. For the remaining juvenile stages the most representative frameworks were picked out, which allowed the characterization of the first eight stages. According to juvenile morphology studies, it was noted that secondary sexual characters differentation begins from the third stage.

Desenvolvimento larval de Macrobrachium birai Lobão, Melo & Fernandes (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea, Palaemonidae) em laboratório

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Reproductive cycle of Hepatus pudibundus (Herbst, 1785) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Calappidae) in Ubatuba, SP, Brazil

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

Distribuição do caranguejo Hepatus pudibundus (Herbst, 1785) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) na Enseada da Fortaleza, Ubatuba (SP), Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Ecological distribution of the shrimp Pleoticus muelleri (Bate, 1888) (Decapoda : Penaeoidea) in southeastern Brazil

The abundance and ecological distribution of the shrimp Pleoticus muelleri as a function of certain environmental factors were investigated from January 1998 through December 1999 in the region of Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. The collections were made monthly in the bays of Ubatumirim (UBM), Ubatuba (UBA) and Mar Virado (MV). Each bay was divided into six sampling transects, four transects parallel to the shoreline and two near the rocky shores on the opposite side. We employed a commercial shrimp boat equipped with two double-rig nets. A total of 6252 shrimp were collected, including 3321 from MV, 1467 from UBM, and 1464 from UBA. Most of the shrimp were caught in the deeper, higher-salinity areas. The high abundance of P. muelleri observed in the southern part of the region studied was related to a sediments with a higher percentage of silt and clay. The numbers of P. muelleri were positively correlated with periods of cooler temperatures. Thus, temperature and the type of sediment were determinant factors in the distribution of P. muelleri in this region.

Fecundity of crab Hepatus-pudibundas (herbst, 1785) (crustacea, decapoda, calappidae) in Ubatuba (SP), Brazil

The egg number and the rate in which they are produced constitute important informations for the comprehension of the reproductive process. The egg number carried by a female crab is related to a body dimension (carapace width or length). These data are adjusted to a linear regression. The specimens of Ii. pudibundus were collected in Ubatuba region, Brazil during the period from January 1991 to July 1993. In this paper 30 females with eggs in the initial embryonic phase were used to estimate ther egg number. The mean fecundity obtained was 75,615 +/- 30,120 eggs/female/spawn. Although the H. pudibundus fecundity was not high, it can be inferred that the larval survival in nature should be large, because it is one of the most abundant crabs in the studied area.

Weight width carapace relationship in the crab hepatus-pudibundus (herbst, 1785) (crustacea, decapoda, calappidae) of the Ubatuba region, SP, Brazil

In populational studies, the weight/width carapace relationship analysis, can furnish indications about the individual physiological variations as a function of the environment, and it can indicate sexual dimorphism. The goal of this research is to find the mathematical expressions of weight/width carapace relationship in the crab Hepatus pudibundus. This study was accomplished by analysing the crabs that were sampled monthly with a shrimp fishing boat equipped with 2 otter-trawl nets, during the period from november/1988 to october/1989. A total of 624 specimens were obtained composed of 244 males and 380 females. In each group the sex, the weight (PE) and the carapace width (LC) were determined. The obtained values agree with the studied range, showing variations during male and female development, represented by the potential function of the equation Y = aX(b). Such variations are probably related to reproductive strategies.

ZOEAL MORPHOLOGY OF PACHYGRAPSUS-GRACILIS (SAUSSURE, 1858) (DECAPODA, GRAPSIDAE) REARED IN THE LABORATORY

The larval development of Pachygrapsus gracilis was studied in the laboratory under conditions of 25-degrees-C temperature and 20, 24, 28, 32 and 34 parts per thousand salinity. The objective of the study was to characterize the plankton phase of life of this species.