Fernando L. Meters. Mantelatto, Vera F. Alarcon, Renata B. Garcia, Eggs Development Actions of your own Exotic Hermit Crab Paguristes Tortugae off Brazil, Record of Crustacean Biology, Regularity twenty two, Issue 2, 1975-99990246
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to characterize the total and seasonal fecundity of the hermit crab Paguristes tortugae as well as the influence of shell type on fecundity using the morphometric relationship. Ovigerous females were collected monthly from January to December, 1998, in the infralittoral region of Anchieta Island. Samplings were performed using SCUBA. The hermit crabs and the gastropod shells were measured. Hermit wet weight and shell dry weight were recorded. For the fecundity analysis, only ovigerous females with the eggs in the early phase of development were selected. The number of eggs carried by individuals of several sizes (shield length), condition of development, and egg size were determined. A high percentage (%) of ovigerous females with eggs in the early phase of development were captured, with a low frequency (4.29%) of females with eggs in the final stage of development. Size-frequency distribution during the months showed two peaks in the ovigerous female population (2.5 to 3.4 mm and 4.0 to 5.4 mm of SL). |$ <\rm>\pm <\rm>$| fecundity was |$132 \pm 102$| eggs and tended to increase with increasing SL. No significant difference in fecundity occurred among the various seasons of the year. The results showed continuous and elevated reproduction of P. tortugae, with a high reproductive potential for the population. The pattern of the frequency distribution of ovigerous females tending to bimodality may be characteristic of a population with a two-year life cycle. Considering the four shells most occupied by P. tortugae (Pisania auritula, Cerithium atratum, Morula nodulosa, and Leucozonia nassa), the highest fecundity was observed for ovigerous females occupying larger shells (P. auritula and L. nassa). The reproductive aspects of P. tortugae were related to strategies developed to compensate for interspecific competition, i.e., high and continuous reproductive effort, early maturity, low fecundity, and larger eggs produced.
Studies to your reproductive strategies regarding Anomura was in fact eliciting growing demand for view of the reality that hermit crabs depict an fascinating classification off a physiological and you can evolutionary opinion ( Mantelatto and you will Garcia, 1999). This group comprises more than 800 types of this new hermit crabs around the world and also undergone big enhance ( Ingle, 1993).
Hermit crabs depict an essential part of the of a lot intertidal and meagerly deep benthic communities, in which they play an important role regarding aquatic food chain ( Fransozo and you can Mantelatto, hoe gebruik je hi5 1998). Still, couples studies have come presented towards existence records or reproductive ecology out of hermit crabs compared with other decapods.
Fecundity is a vital factor into the crustaceans, as well as others, having determining the reproductive possible away from a species and you will/or of one’s stock sized a people ( Mantelatto and you will Fransozo, 1997), perhaps outlining the fresh new reproductive adjustment to help you ecological criteria ( Sastry, 1983). Hermit crabs specifically, while they live in gastropod shells, afford the opportunity to analysis the latest communication between investment and reproductive strategy. According to Wilber (1989), a great female’s layer make a difference the girl reproduction of the determining if or not or perhaps not she gets ovigerous and you may/otherwise limiting just how many egg put. So it writer thought numerous aspects of the fresh layer-size/reproduction relationships, particularly concerning the variations in eggs creation when considering the new species, size, frequency, and pounds of your own shell filled.
Egg Production Methods of your Exotic Hermit Crab Paguristes Tortugae out-of Brazil
At the same time, around three categories of hermit crab particularly (i.elizabeth., new genera Pagurus and you can Paguristes, together with “Pylopagurus-like” species), had been a difficult group to review since the of many species is actually known from just one otherwise a number of localities, and many nonetheless-undescribed variety are recognized to take place in the location, leading to considerable identification difficulties one of pros and you will nonspecialists the exact same ( Hendrickx and Harvey, 1999). Paguristes tortugae Schmitt, 1933, are a somewhat common varieties delivered on the West Atlantic out-of Florida to Brazil (given that much southern area because the Santa Catarina Condition) ( Rieger and Giraldi, 1997; Melo, 1999). In spite of the pair files available on the overall biology of pagurids, P. tortugae might have been apparently well studied (discover Mantelatto and you may Sousa, for the press, to own opinion).