Effects of cadmium on somatic and gonadal growth of juvenile females of the estuarine crab Chasmagnathus granulata (Brachyura, Grapsidae)

KOGAN, M.; LÓPEZ GRECO, L.S.; ROMANO, L.A.; RODRÍGUEZ, E.M.

ZOOLOGICAL STUDIES

ACAD SINICA INST ZOOLOGY

Año: 2000 vol. 39 p. 344 - 350

1021-5506

Juvenile female crabs of Chasmagnathus granulata (Decapoda, Brachyura), were exposed to 0.1 and 0.5 mg/l of cadmium at least 50 days before and during 15 days after molting. The gonads were dissected and fixed for histopathological studies, while the carapaces were preserved for measuring calcium content. A cadmium concentration of 0.5 mg/l has shown to be lethal for juvenile crabs. The few survival crabs at this concentration were unable to molt. Although most crabs exposed to 0.1 mg/l of  cadmium survived and molted,  they presented a significant higher incidence of pathologies in the ovary than control crabs. These pathologies were hypertrophy and cariorhexis in primary oocytes, as well as reactional atresia in secondary oocytes. Although no significant differences in the proportion of crabs with mature ovaries after molting were noted between the control and cadmium-exposed animals, a trend toward slower maturation  was noticed due to the effect of cadmium