Seasonal variations in elemental composition of larval Halicarcinus planatus (Hymenosomatidae) in the Beagle Channel, Southern South America.

DIEZ, MARIANO J.; SPIVAK, EDUARDO; ANGER KLAUS,; FLORENTÍN, OLGA; LOVRICH, GUSTAVO A.

Congreso; Congreso; 7th International Crustacean Congress; 2010; 2010

The crab Halicarcinus planatus is the only decapod that reproduces twice a year in sub-Antarctic South America. The aim of this study was to quantify total dry mass (W) and elemental composition (CHN) during the larval development of this species comparing two reproductive periods, August and December, at the southernmost limit of its geographical distribution. Ovigerous females were caught in the intertidal zone of Bahía Brown, Beagle Channel (ca. 54º 52´S; 67º 32´W), and kept in individual 1.4 L-flasks. After hatching, larvae from 14 females were randomly collected and kept in individual bowls containing 100 ml of seawater at 8±0.5ºC in darkness conditions. Water was changed every second day and freshly hatched Artemia nauplii were supplied as food. Determinations of W and CHN were done in all three zoeal stages and in the first juvenile instar, using in both months of reproduction different larval hatches from 7 females each. The dry mass of freshly hatched zoea I of Halicarcinus planatus differed significantly between the reproductive periods (F = 5.41, p