CADIC   02618
CENTRO AUSTRAL DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Habitat preferences of blue king crab Paralithodes platypus glaucothoe and first crab on natural sustrates
Autor/es:
FEDERICO TAPELLA; M. CAROLINA ROMERO; BRADLEY G. STEVENS; C. LOREN BUCK
Lugar:
Gramado, Brasil
Reunión:
Congreso; V Congresso Brasileiro sobre Crustaceos; 2008
Resumen:
Despite the importance of P. platypus in the Bering Sea fishery, there has been no studies of juvenile habitat preferences. Such information is critical for any stock enhancement programs. The aim of this study was to determine the natural substrata that Glaucothoes (G) prefer to settle on and whether they or subsequent crab 1 stage (C1) redistributed themselves to different habitats over time. Experiments were performed in round containers divided into four quadrants, each one filled with: beach sand, gravel, shells and cobbles. Containers were assigned to 9 groups of 3 replicates each and randomly distributed in tanks at 8ºC. Twenty five G were released in each container. Three containers were removed after 24 h, 5 d, 8 d, and at weekly intervals thereafter for 6 weeks (treatments). Numbers of swimming and settled on each substrate were recorded. Glaucothoes began to settle immediately after being released since no swimming larvae were found during any sampling periods. Proportion of settled specimens varied among substrata (p<0.001 in both stages) but not across time (p=0.96 and p=0.91 for G and C1, respectively) and interactions were not significant (p>>0.05 in both stages). Glaucothoes preferred gravel, cobbles and shell (Tukey p<<0.05) instead of beach sand (Tukey p>>0.05). Stage C1 selected cobble and shell (Tukey p<<0.05) instead of sand or gravel (Tukey p>>0.05) soon after molting, and did not move to other substrata. Supported by Grant #R0507 from the North Pacific Research Board.