Abstract Here, we report the first occurrence of Trizocarcinus Rathbun, 1914 (Brachyura: Euryplacidae) from the South Atlantic (Brazil). Trizocarcinus tacitus Chace, 1940 was collected in the upper continental slope of the Potiguar Basin, northeastern Brazil. The new record expands by 3000 km the southern distribution of the species in the Western Atlantic.

ABSTRACT This paper reports the occurrence of Aphrogenia alba in Potiguar Basin, northeastern Brazil. The specimen was sampled at a depth of 180 m off the Rio Grande do Norte coast in the muddy bottom. This new record extends, after 37 years, the known geographic distribution of the species in the Brazilian coast, which had previously been recorded between Rio de Janeiro (Cabo de São Tomé and Ilha Grande) and Rio Grande do Sul.

Abstract The family Bopyridae Rafinesque, 1815 is comprised of parasitic isopods with a life cycle involving an intermediate host (copepod) and a definitive host (decapod crustacean). The genus Anuropodione Bourdon, 1967 occurs in all oceans and encompasses five species that are only known as parasites of squat lobsters belonging to the genus Munida Leach, 1820. Despite the broad distribution of the genus, no species has ever been recorded from the South Atlantic. A total of 416 specimens of Munida iris A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 were collected in Potiguar Basin around the isobaths of 400 m, including 24 individuals (5.77%) containing parasites within their branchial chambers. Male parasites showed considerable variability in the number of pleomeres, with many showing four pleomeres, a number previously unknown for males of any species in the genus. These specimens represent the first occurrence of the genus Anuropodione and the species A. carolinensisMarkham, 1974 from the South Atlantic (Brazilian waters).

Abstract The caridean family Glyphocrangonidae Smith, 1884 is monotypic, including only the genus Glyphocrangon A. Milne-Edwards, 1881. The species of this genus are exclusively inhabitants of deep sea. The current contribution aims to enrich the knowledge of Glyphocrangon in the southwestern Atlantic, by reporting its occurrence and bathymetric distribution in the Potiguar Basin, northeastern Brazil. The samples were collected by R/V Luke Thomas and R/V Seward Johnson, with bottom trawling at isobaths of 400, 1,000 and 2,000 m, using an otter trawl semi-balloon. The specimens were identified and stored in the carcinological collection of the Museu de Oceanografia Prof. Petrônio Alves Coelho, in Recife, Brazil. A total of 810 specimens were examined from five species: Glyphocrangon aculeata A. Milne-Edwards, 1881, G. alispina Chace, 1939, G. longirostris (Smith, 1882), G. sculpta (Smith, 1882) and G. spinicauda A. Milne-Edwards, 1881. Glyphocrangon spinicauda was the most abundant with 334 individuals, and G. sculpta was the rarest, with only one individual. All species were recorded in the study area for the first time.

Abstract The deep-sea copepod Megacalanus princeps Wolfenden, 1904 was previously recorded from the northern and southeastern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, but not previously observed from southwestern Atlantic. Here we report its first occurrence in Brazilian waters. The current record increases the knowledge on the species distribution and on the deep-sea copepod fauna in the south Atlantic.

Abstract The crab Euchirograpsus americanus A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (Plagusiidae) has so far only been recorded in Brazil in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Here we report its first occurrence from northeastern Brazil, from the Potiguar Basin in the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a ecologia populacional de Callichirus major (Say, 1818) na praia de Piedade, Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil, através da análise de parâmetros como proporção sexual, período reprodutivo e o recrutamento de juvenis nesta população. As coletas foram realizadas mensalmente entre dezembro de 2010 e novembro de 2011. A temperatura do ar e das tocas, além da salinidade da água do mar foram medidas in situ. O teste t de Student foi aplicado para comparar os valores dos fatores abióticos entre as estações seca e chuvosa. A proporção sexual foi analisada para cada mês e durante todo o período estudado, e o teste do qui-quadrado foi aplicado para verificar se desvia significativamente da proporção esperada. O período reprodutivo foi determinado com base na frequência de fêmeas ovígeras. O recrutamento foi obtido com base na frequência de indivíduos imaturos. A influência de fatores abióticos na população foi avaliada através do coeficiente de Pearson. A temperatura do ar e das tocas variou significativamente entre os períodos seco e chuvoso, com valores mais elevados no período seco. Um total de 389 indivíduos C. major foram amostrados (174 ♂ e 215 ♀). A razão sexual foi de 1:1,24 (♂:♀), as fêmeas foram mais abundantes que os machos. No presente estudo, foi observado que o pico da fase reprodutiva e frequência de fêmeas ovígeras de C. major ocorreu na estação seca (verão equatorial). O recrutamento de jovens na população ocorreu durante todo o ano, especialmente entre o verão e o outono. De acordo com a matriz de correlação, o fator abiótico mais influente na abundância de C. major, especialmente em fêmeas ovígeras, é a temperatura das tocas. Este estudo cria uma linha de base para futuras pesquisas com C. major no Nordeste do Brasil.

The aim of this paper was to study the population ecology of Callichirus major (Say, 1818) at Piedade Beach, State of Pernambuco, Brazil, through the analysis of parameters such as sex ratio, reproductive period and recruitment of juveniles into this population. Sampling was taken monthly from December 2010 to November 2011. The burrow and air temperatures, as well as the sea water salinity, were measured in situ. A Student t test was applied to compare the value of abiotic factors between the dry and rainy seasons. The sex ratio was analyzed for each month and for the total studied period, and a Chi-square test was applied to verify if it deviated significantly from the expected proportion. The reproductive period was determined based on the frequency of ovigerous females. The recruitment was obtained based on the frequency of non-mature individuals. The influence of the abiotic factors was evaluated through a Pearson’s coefficient. The air and burrow temperatures varied significantly between the dry and rainy periods, with the highest values in the dry period. A total of 389 individuals of C. major (174 ♂ and 215 ♀) were sampled. The sex ratio was 1:1.24 (♂:♀), with females being more abundant than males. In this study, the most active reproductive period of C. major and frequency of ovigerous females was observed in the dry period (equatorial summer). Recruitment of juveniles into the population occurred throughout the year, between the summer and the autumn. According to the correlation matrix, the main abiotic factor influencing the abundance of C. major, especially of ovigerous females, was the burrow temperature. This study creates a baseline for further research with C. major in Northeastern Brazil.