RESUMO Maturidade sexual morfológica do caranguejo marinho Xanthodius parvulus no Parque Estadual Marinho Laje de Santos, São Paulo, Brasil. O caranguejo marinho Xanthodius parvulus (Fabricius, 1793) tem distribuição natural ao longo do Atlântico Ocidental, comumente encontrado no litoral nordeste brasileiro. Contudo, essa espécie vem sendo amplamente registrada ao longo do litoral sudeste, especialmente na costa do estado de São Paulo, em ilhas próximas a regiões portuárias, (que são regiões recorrentes para introdução de espécies exóticas). O presente estudo tem como objetivo estimar a maturidade sexual morfológica (utilizando crescimento relativo) de X. parvulus para que seja possível compreender o funcionamento de padrões biológicos da mesma em uma área de preservação ambiental, subsidiando assim, possíveis intepretações para futuros estudos de conservação e manejo da espécie. Os caranguejos foram amostrados no Parque Estadual Marinho Laje de Santos, uma importante área de preservação do estado de São Paulo, utilizando substrato artificial de refúgio e captura ativa com mergulho autônomo como metodologia. A maturidade sexual morfológica das fêmeas foi estimada em 7,28 mm, considerando a relação da Largura do Abdome vs. Largura da Carapaça, enquanto para os machos, este valor foi de 8,83 mm baseando na relação Comprimento do Gonopódio vs. Largura da Carapaça, as fêmeas apresentaram um incremento no crescimento abdominal, mesmo durante os estágios mais maduros para alcançar um maior sucesso reprodutivo, uma vez que as estruturas abdominais são usadas na proteção dos embriões. A relação Comprimento do Gonopódio vs. Largura da Carapaça indicou que os machos, por sua vez, podem copular com fêmeas em diferentes tamanhos, uma vez que um crescimento não exagerado da estrutura mantém o gonopódio em tamanho adequado a todos os tamanhos de poros genitais das fêmeas, corroborado pelo crescimento alométrico negativo em juvenis e crescimento isométrico nos adultos. Sendo assim, estimando o tamanho da maturidade sexual das espécies, torna-se possível o desenvolvimento de um modelo para reconhecimento da biologia e padrões reprodutivos dos animais, sendo uma importante ferramenta no conhecimento comportamental e para registro de um dos parâmetros para se avaliar o status de conservação da espécie na área.

ABSTRACT The marine crab Xanthodius parvulus (Fabricius, 1793) is naturally distributed in the Western Atlantic, being commonly found in the northeastern Brazilian coast. However, this species has been also recorded in the southeastern coast, especially in São Paulo State, on islands located close to harbors, which are becoming a place of occurrence for exotic species. This study aimed to estimate the morphological sexual maturity (relative growth) of X. parvulus the functional biological patterns of the species in a No-take marine reserve. The crabs were sampled at the Marine State Park of Laje de Santos, an important protected area from São Paulo that is located close to the largest Brazilian harbor, Santos, using an artificial substrate and active search methods (scuba diving). The morphological sexual maturity of females was estimated in 7.28 mm, according to the Abdomen Width vs. Carapace Width relationship, while for males this value was 8.83 mm based on the Gonopod Length vs. Carapace Width relationship, the females presented an increase in abdominal growth, even during the mature stage in order to achieve higher reproductive success, since the abdominal structure is used to protect the embryos. The Gonopod Length vs. Carapace Width relationship showed that males copulate with different sized females, since a non-exaggerated growth of the gonopods keeps them adequate to the size of the female genital pore, i.e., juveniles exhibited negative allometry and adults presented isometry. Thus, estimating the size of the sexual maturity of a species requires the development of a model to acknowledge its biological and reproductive pattern, being an important tool to increase the knowledge about the behavior of this species and one of the parameters to evaluate its conservation status.

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and the weight/length ratio in important shrimp populations (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller, 1862), Litopenaeus schmitti (Burkenroad, 1936), Rimapenaeus constrictus (Stimpson, 1874)) from the northern littoral of São Paulo State. The samples were collected between 2015 and 2016, with 212 females that were identified, classified according to their gonadal development stage, and measured (CL). The gonads were macroscopically classified into immature, spent and developed, and were then removed. Both body (BodW) and gonad (GonW) dry weights were obtained in order to calculate the gonadosomatic index. Weight/length relationship and weight gain rate were assessed. The weight gain presented negative allometry, indicating that the animals grow faster than they gain weight. The weight/length relationship showed a pattern of continuous reproduction, as previously determined for tropical species. From the GSI values, it was possible to separate the three predetermined gonadal stages, proving that macroscopic evaluation is reliable for evaluating the reproductive period of these shrimps. These results can be used as a guide for fishery stocks management and monitoring.

Abstract We estimated the growth parameters of the spider crab, Libinia ferreirae (age, asymptotic size and growth rate) using the von Bertalanffy growth equation model. We obtained nine cohorts for female carapace asymptotic width (CW∞) = 64.32 mm, growth coefficient (day-1) (k) = 0.0027 e t0= 0.77 days) and seven for males (CW∞ = 81.93 mm, k= 0.0021 e t0= 0.49 days). The longevity for males was higher than that for females, estimated 2,156 days (5.91 years) and 1,706 days (4.68 years), respectively. The growth curves for males and females differed (F = 34.67 e p < 0.001). Males reached gonadal maturity before morphometric maturity and occurred at 8.8 and 16.6 months of life, respectively. Females reach gonad and morphometric maturity synchronously and this was estimated to occur at about 11.42 months of life. These crabs invest a great amount of energy in growth during a brief period of their development until reaching the terminal moult. This growth strategy would bring less wear to the organism and consequently a greater longevity.

Abstract This study investigated the temporal abundance, periods of reproduction and recruitment, gonad sexual maturity, and population structure of the swimming crab Achelous spinimanus (Latreille, 1819) in Macaé, a region of the Brazilian coast affected by upwelling events. The samples were collected monthly during one year. The crabs were counted, sexed and measured for maximum carapace width (MCW). Four developmental stages were described in males and females. Environmental variables as temperature, salinity, organic matter and Phi were measured. A Principal Components Analysis indicated that environmental variables were strongly correlated with seasons, affecting the abundance of this species, which was high during summer and autumn. The periods of reproduction and recruitment were also seasonal, with a peak of females with developed gonads and ovigerous females during autumn and immatures during summer and autumn. Males and females did not differ in size at gonad sexual maturity, estimated at 39.9 and 42.9 mm MCW, respectively. The environmental conditions in this upwelling region may have induced this population of A. spinimanus to show different characteristics and behaviors from other populations on the Brazilian coast, since alterations linked to the periods of reproduction and recruitment, as well as the population structure and distribution, may reveal different survival strategies of the species.

Abstract This study describes the weight vs. carapace length relationship and provides the total and monthly condition factor values for populations of Macrobrachium jelskii (Miers, 1977) and M. brasiliense (Heller, 1868) occurring in southeastern Brazil. The biological characteristics were compared and related to the climatic environmental factors between the two areas. Our investigation sampled M. jelskii from the Barra Mansa Dam, Mendonça, SP, a semilotic environment with greater resilience than the Talhadinho Stream, Talhado, SP, a lotic environment where specimens of M. brasiliense were captured. Individuals were classified according to sex and measured at the carapace length (CL) and weighed (WE). The relationship WE/CL was analyzed by dispersion diagrams of the empirical points, which were set to the power function (WE = a.CL b ). Values of the mean condition factor were compared monthly. In total, 1493 individuals of M. jelskii and 843 individuals of M. brasiliense were captured. Analyses of the constant allometry revealed that both sexes of M. jelskii, as well as females of M. brasiliense grow proportionately more in size than weight. The results concerning the morphometric aspects studied in both species suggest an association with the reproductive processes.

Abstract The spatio-temporal distribution of juveniles of the pink shrimps Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) and Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Pérez-Farfante, 1967) in the Ubatuba region (SP) was investigated. Sampling was performed in the bays of Ubatumirim (UBM), Ubatuba (UBA) and Mar Virado (MV). A total of 2,018 F. brasiliensis and F. paulensis were collected. The largest catch of juveniles of both species occurred in UBA (N = 867), followed by UBM (N = 729) and MV (N= 422). The bottom sediment in MV had the highest silt and clay content, which explains the negative correlation of the substrate with the abundance of both species. Temperature was positively correlated with the abundance of both species. Juveniles were highly abundant in shallower areas in the summer of 1998. The high rainfall in this El Niño period may have lowered the salinity in estuarine waters and led the shrimps to move to coastal areas in search of higher salinities such as in bays. With this unusually early reduction in salinity, individuals migrated to the bay before the closed season began and thus became more exposed to fishing. We confirmed that monitoring environmental variations, especially in El Niño years, is essential for understanding the distribution patterns of juveniles of both species.

Abstract Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller, 1862) is the third most common species caught by fishing boats in the state of São Paulo, Brazil and production of this shrimp in the Cananéia region located on the southern coast of this state ranks second in the nation. The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal variation of the total biomass and size of X. kroyeri and analyze this variation against environmental factors in order to suggest some information about the best periods to fish this species. Samples were caught monthly from four sampling stations in Cananéia between July 2012 and June 2014 using a fishing boat equipped with otter-trawl nets. Temperature and salinity were monitored using a multiparameter probe, and sediment samples were also taken using a Van Veen-type gripper for particle size analysis. The shrimp were weighed, quantified, and carapace length was measured (mm). In general, the highest total biomass values were recorded when the fishery was closed in the southeast and south regions, and the highest catch of smaller individuals was also observed during this period. In contrast, in November 2013 the fishing is permitted and high biomass composed of large individuals was observed. The monthly biomass showed a positive relationship with sediment texture, because this species prefers very fine sediments to burrow as a defense against predators.

ABSTRACT The morphology of the first zoeal stage of Domecia acanthophora (Desbonne, in Desbonne & Schramm, 1867) was described from laboratory-hatched material obtained from ovigerous females collected at Vitória Island on the southeastern Brazilian coast. We compared the larval morphology (zoea I) of fourteen species of the superfamily Trapezioidea, which Domecia glabra Alcock, 1899 is the only congeneric representative of the species described in this study. The morphological characteristics of the first zoea that distinguish D. acanthophora from D. glabra are: three aesthetascs on the exopod antennule; three pairs of lateral spines on carapace; bilobed basial endite of maxilla, with four plumodenticulate setae on each lobe; and telson furcae distally spinulated. It also provides information that may enhance some phylogenetic hypotheses within Trapezioidea crabs.

Visando analisar as associações entre as biomassas de peixes Sciaenidae e de camarões Penaeoidea, foram feitas amostragens com barco de arrasto nas quatro estações do ano de 2001, em um gradiente de profundidade, nas regiões de Ubatuba, Caraguatatuba e São Sebastião. Em cada transecto, foram obtidas amostras de água e de sedimento. As hipóteses de que os fatores ambientais foram diferentes entre as estações do ano e profundidades foram testadas por ANOVAs. A dependência estatística entre as biomassas de peixes (variável resposta) e as biomassas de camarões (covariável) nas três regiões, foi testada por um modelo de ANCOVA. Para quantificar as relações entre as biomassas de cada espécie foi utilizada a CCA. A importância das estações do ano e das regiões no resultado da CCA foi avaliada pelo teste de Kruskal-Wallis e da profundidade pelo teste de Spearman. Nas estações do ano, as temperaturas e salinidades foram significativamente diferentes, o que não ocorreu com matéria orgânica (MO) e o diâmetro médio do sedimento (phi = fi). Foram amostrados 378.618 g de peixes e 79.338 g de camarões, com maiores capturas no inverno e nas menores profundidades. Em Caraguatatuba foram coletadas as maiores biomassas de ambos os grupos e a correlação entre as capturas de peixes e de camarões foi negativa. Já nas demais regiões, a correlação foi positiva. Assim, os dados de Caraguatatuba foram retirados do modelo final da ANCOVA, onde 47% da variabilidade na biomassa dos peixes Sciaenidae pôde ser explicada pela presença dos camarões Penaeoidea. Xiphopenaeus kroyeri foi o único fator importante na distribuição de Sciaenidae no eixo 1, enquanto o eixo 2 evidenciou indiretamente o gradiente de profundidade. Os resultados sugerem que, possivelmente, muitas espécies de peixes busquem as mesmas áreas de ocorrência dos camarões em função dos fatores abióticos ou para utilizá-los como recurso alimentar.

To study the relationships among Sciaenidae fish and Penaeoidea shrimp biomass, fieldwork was carried out in the north coast of São Paulo state, Brazil, during the four seasons of 2001. Samples were collected in transects from different depths at Ubatuba, Caraguatatuba, and São Sebastião cities. Water and sediment were collected from each transect. The hypotheses that the environmental factors were different among the seasons and depths were tested by ANOVAs. The statistical dependence among the biomasses of fishes (response variable) and the biomasses of shrimps (covariable) in the three sections was tested by an ANCOVA model. CCA was used to quantify the relationships among each species’ biomass. The seasons and sections important at the CCA results were evaluated by Kruskal-Wallis test and depth by Spearman’s test. The temperatures and salinities were significantly different among seasons but organic matter and phi were not. A total of 378,618 g of fish and 79,338 g of shrimp were collected and the majority was captured during the winter and in shallow transects. The greatest biomass of both groups was captured at Caraguatatuba and the correlation between fish and shrimp captures was negative. A positive correlation was found in the other areas. Therefore, data from Caraguatatuba was removed from the final ANCOVA model, in which 47% of Sciaenidae biomass variability was explained by the presence of Penaeoidea shrimps. Xiphopenaeus kroyeri was the only important factor in Sciaenidae distribution in the axis 1, while axis 2 indirectly evidenced the depth gradient. The results suggest that many fish species search for the same areas where shrimp occurs, related to abiotic factors, and use them as food resource.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo a elaboração de uma chave de identificação ilustrada para diferenciar as espécies de camarões marinhos Dendrobranchiata, com ocorrência no litoral do Estado de São Paulo até a profundidade de 40m. As 13 espécies apresentadas neste trabalho foram obtidas mediante coletas mensais durante os anos de 1995 a 2000 na região de Ubatuba, SP . Nesta chave estão incluídas as espécies de interesse econômico, como os peneídeos Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis, F. paulensis, Litopenaeus schmitti, Artemesia longinaris e o solenocerídeo Pleoticus muelleri. Além destas espécies, também foram adicionados os camarões que não são alvos das frotas pesqueiras, entre eles, Rimapenaeus constrictus, Acetes americanus, Peisos petrunkevitchi e os sicionídeos Sicyonia dorsalis, S. typica, S. laevigata e S. parri. A chave proposta servirá como uma ferramenta no auxílio da identificação dos camarões Dendrobranchiata, quer seja por pesquisadores ligados à área científica, como também por pessoas relacionadas aos órgãos responsáveis pelo controle da pesca, principalmente, na época do defeso.

This study aimed to provide an illustrated identification key to distinguish Dendrobranchiata marine shrimps which, occur in the littoral north São Paulo State as deep as to 40m. A total of 13 species were captured using a shrimp fishery boat with two double-rig nets. Monthly trawlings were carried out from 1995 to 2000 in the region of Ubatuba, SP. This key includes the commercial value of species such as the penaeids Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis, F. paulensis, Litopenaeus schmitti, Artemesia longinaris and the solenocerids Pleoticus muelleri. In addition to these species, shrimps that are not of commercial interest were also include such as Rimapenaeus constrictus, Acetes americanus, Peisos petrunkevitchi and the sicionids Sicyonia dorsalis, S. typica, S. laevigata and S. parri. The key proposed here might facilitate the identification of Dendrobranchiata shrimps by a variety of users, including scientific researchers as well as people responsible for making the laws that regulate fisheries, principally in the protection period.