INVESTIGADORES
RODRIGUEZ Enrique Marcelo
artículos
Título:
Somatic growth in juveniles of the estuarine crab Chasmagnathus granulata Dana 1851 (Brachyura, Grapsidae) under laboratory conditions
Autor/es:
LÓPEZ, L.; RODRÍGUEZ, ENRIQUE M.
Revista:
Investigaciones Marinas
Editorial:
Ediciones Universitarias de Valparaíso
Referencias:
Año: 1998 vol. 26 p. 127 - 135
ISSN:
0717-7178
Resumen:
Male and female juvenile crabs of the species Chasmagnathus granulata
were collected in Samborombón Bay (Argentina), on October 1994 and
February 1995; these dates correspond to the beginning and end of the
reproductive period of the species, respectively. No differences in the
initial size (measured as carapace width, CW) existed between both
clutches. Each clutch of juveniles was observed during a 1-year period,
recording the percentage of molted crabs, intermolt period and
percentual increment of size after each molting. At the end of the
observation period, males and females from the October clutch reached
the size of sexual maturity, while crabs of the remaining clutch did
not. This difference was due to the higher increment in size of the
October crabs at the third and fourth molts, compared to the February
ones. Such difference seems to be related to an increase in reproductive
effort during the breeding season, once the sexual maturity was
attained.