RESUMO O costão rochoso de Praia Grande (Ubatuba, SP) é formado por matacões rochosos e recifes de areia formados por poliquetas sabelarídeos. Essas estruturas oferecem abrigo e área de forrageamento para diversos organismos marinhos, e atraem muitos turistas. O caranguejo Eriphia gonagra (Fabricius, 1781) habita essas estruturas, podendo ser utilizado como bioindicador, uma vez que estas podem ser afetadas por ações antrópicas. Por meio deste estudo avaliou-se o conteúdo estomacal e caracterizou-se os hábitos alimentares de uma população de E. gonagra, levando em consideração o sexo, tamanho e microhabitat. Amostragens mensais foram realizadas em 1996 e 1997 e os caranguejos foram capturados manualmente na Praia Grande. Assim, os espécimes amostrados foram caracterizados de acordo com o local de captura (microhabitat) como recife rochoso (RO) ou de areia (SR). Os itens mais abundantes foram moluscos, algas, poliquetos e crustáceos, sendo observada a importância destes grupos como recurso alimentar no ambiente estudado. Os moluscos foram mais abundantes nos estômagos dos caranguejos amostrados no RO, enquanto os demais item aumentavam nos caranguejos dos recifes de areia. Dentre os espécimes amostrados no SR, poliquetos foi o alimento foi mais comum, indicando que esse biótopo também é utilizado como fonte rica em proteínas. A proporção de itens diferiu também entre classes de tamanho. Conhecer tais hábitos é essencial para estudos de requisitos nutricionais, monitoramento de relações entre organismos, bem como para avaliação de impactos ecossistêmicos em costões rochosos.

ABSTRACT The rocky shores of Praia Grande, in Ubatuba (São Paulo, Brazil), are formed by rock and Sabellaridae polychaete sandy reefs. These microenvironments offer shelters and foraging areas for several marine organisms and attracts many tourists. The crab Eriphia gonagra (Fabricius, 1781) inhabits these structures and can be used as a bioindicator, since they may be affected by anthropogenic actions. This study evaluated the stomach contents and characterized the feeding habits of an E. gonagra population, inhabiting the rocky shores from Praia Grande, taking into account the sex, size, and microhabitat. Monthly samplings were performed in 1996 and 1997 and the crabs were manually captured on the rocky surface or into of the sand reefs. So, the specimens sampled were characterized according to their capture site (microhabitat) as rocky (RO) or sand reef (SR). The most abundant food items were Mollusca, algae, Polychaeta, and Crustacea, being observed the importance of these groups as a nutritive resource in the studied environment. Mollusks were more abundant in the stomachs of crabs sampled on the rocks, while the other items increased in the sand reefs crabs. In the specimens sampled in the SR, polychaetes were the item food more common, indicating that this biotope is also used as a rich source of protein. The proportion of items differed also between size classes. Knowledge of such habits is essential for nutritional requirements studies, monitoring relationships among organisms, as well as assessing future environmental impacts in consolidated coastal regions.

RESUMO Este estudo descreveu os padrões reprodutivos e de recrutamento do siri Achelous spinimanus (Latreille, 1819) na região de Ubatuba, litoral norte de São Paulo, Brasil. Os siris foram coletados mensalmente, de janeiro de 1998 a dezembro de 1999, em 18 locais em três enseadas (Ubatumirim, Ubatuba e Mar Virado), utilizando um barco de pesca comercial. Em cada área de amostragem foram registrados a temperatura de fundo, salinidade e teor de matéria orgânica. Um total de 1.911 indivíduos foram coletados: 350 machos adultos, 475 fêmeas adultas não ovígeras, 584 fêmeas adultas ovígeras e 502 jovens. As fêmeas reprodutivas foram mais abundantes em áreas profundas; essa migração pode ser uma estratégia para melhorar a dispersão e a sobrevivência das larvas. As fêmeas ovígeras foram encontradas durante todo o ano, indicando uma reprodução contínua, com sua abundância positivamente correlacionada à temperatura. Durante a pesquisa de dois anos, foram encontrados caranguejos em todos os estágios de desenvolvimento gonadal. Podemos inferir que a região de Ubatuba fornece recursos adequados para o estabelecimento e desenvolvimento de A. spinimanus.

ABSTRACT This study describes the reproductive and recruitment patterns of the swimming crab Achelous spinimanus (Latreille, 1819) in the Ubatuba region of the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil. Crabs were captured monthly from January 1998 to December 1999 in 18 sites located in three bays (Ubatumirim, Ubatuba, and Mar Virado), using a commercial fishing boat. In each sampling area, bottom temperature, salinity, and organic matter content were recorded. A total of 1,911 individuals were captured: 350 adult males, 475 non-ovigerous adult females, 584 adult ovigerous females, and 502 immature individuals. Reproductive females were more abundant in deeper areas; this migration might be a strategy to improve larval dispersion and survival. Ovigerous females were found year-round, indicating a continuous reproduction, and their abundance was positively correlated with temperature. During the 2-year survey, crabs with all gonadal development stages were found. We can infer that this region provides suitable resources for the development of A. spinimanus.

ABSTRACT Schyzocotyle acheilognathi is a tapeworm cestode commonly found in native freshwater fishes from Asia. This cestode has low host specificity and for that reason it has been registered parasitizing more than 200 cultured and wild fish species, besides amphibians, reptiles and birds from different regions of the world. With a high pathogenic potential, S. acheilognathi may cause mortalities in highly infected fish. In South America, Schyzocotyle was reported in Cyprinus carpio from a Brazilian fish farm at the municipality of Cornélio Procópio, northern Paraná State and from the natural environment in C. carpio from Neuquen River, Patagonia, Argentina. So far, there has been no report of this parasite in South American native fishes. Herein we report the first occurrence of the invasive tapeworm S. acheilognathi in Rineloricaria pentamaculata (Siluriformes, Loricariidae), a native armored freshwater catfish from southern Brazil.

Abstract The variation in reproductive investment (RI) and the hypothesis of multiple spawning were evaluated in the redfinger rubble crab Eriphia gonagra (Fabricius, 1781). The gonads and embryos showed synchronous development, and fecundity and RI varied widely among females of the same size class. The mean RI value recorded was 11.31%, with no significant differences among the means for different size classes. The allometric analysis of fecundity indicated RI decrease while body size increase, but we suggested that this occurs due to size overestimation where the largest width of carapace was used as body size reference in these analyzes. In addition, we found an isometric relationship for “female weight vs. egg number”, and also for “female weight vs. egg weight”, indicating that RI increased proportionally with size of females. Relatively high frequencies both of smaller females with rudimentary gonads, and of larger females with developed gonads were observed. This indicates that larger females take place more frequently in the population reproductive output over time. This difference could not be observed by means of RI analyses of captured and fixed crabs, for which only one stage of gonad development and/or one spawning is usually recorded.

Patterns of spatio-temporal distribution of Brachyura are determined by the interaction among life history traits, inter and intraspecific relationships, as well as by the variation of abiotic factors. This study aimed to characterize patterns of spatio-temporal distribution of Persephona lichtensteinii, Persephona mediterranea and Persephona punctata in two regions of the northern coast of São Paulo State, southeastern region of Brazil. Collections were done monthly from July 2001 to June 2003 in Caraguatatuba and Ubatuba, using a shrimp fishery boat equipped with double-rig nets. The patterns of species distribution were tested by means of redundancy analysis (RDA) and generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) in relation to the recorded environmental factors (BT: bottom temperature, BS: bottom salinity, OM: organic matter and granulometry (Phi)). The most influent environmental factor over the species distribution was the Phi, and the ascendant order of influence was P. lichtensteinii, P. punctata and P. mediterranea. The greater abundance of P. mediterranea showed a conservative pattern of distribution for the genus in the sampled region. The greater occurrence of P. punctata and P. lichtensteinii, in distinct transects than those occupied by P. mediterranea, seems to be a strategy to avoid competition among congeneric species, which is related to the substratum specificity.

Los patrones de distribución espacial-temporal de los Brachyura son determinados por la interacción entre aspectos de la historia de vida, relaciones inter e intraespecíficas, así como por las variaciones de los factores abióticos. El objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar los patrones de distribución espacio-temporal de Persephona lichtensteinii, Persephona mediterranea y Persephona punctata en dos regiones de la costa norte del estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Se realizaron muestreos mensuales, de julio de 2001 a junio de 2003 en las regiones de Caraguatuba y Ubatuba, utilizando un barco camaronero equipado con redes de arrastre de tipo "double-rig". Los patrones de distribución de las especies fueron testeados por medio de una análisis de redundancia (RDA) y de modelos lineales generalizados mixtos (GLMM) por su asociación con los factores ambientales registrados (TF: temperatura de fondo, SF: salinidad de fondo, MO: materia orgánica y Phi). El factor ambiental más influyente sobre distribución de las especies fue el tamaño medio de grano (Phi). Siendo el grado de orden de influencia ascendente a partir de P. lichtensteinii, P. punctata y P. mediterranea. La mayor abundancia de P. mediterranea sobre P. punctata y P. lichtensteinii mostró un patrón de distribución conservativo de género para la región muestreada. Esta variación de abundancia puede estar relacionada con el límite de distribución de las especies. La mayor presencia de P. punctata y P. lichtensteinii en puntos distintos de los ocupados por P. mediterranea parece ser una estrategia para evitar la competencia entre especies congenéricas, relacionada con la especificidad del sustrato.