Plasticity of growth rates and sizes at sexual maturity in different populations of the fiddler crab Minuca vocator (Herbst 1804) within the same latitudinal range

COLPO KARINE D.; MULREEDY, CONSTANZA; NEGREIROS-FRANSOZO MARIA LUCIA

ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS.

ACAD BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS

Lugar: Rio de Janeiro; Año: 2022 vol. 94 p. 1 - 10

0001-3765

The growth rates and size at maturity of decapod crustaceans usually vary throughoutlatitudes. Here, we evaluated whether these life history traits can be stable within the samelatitude range, where some environmental factors are constant, especially temperature. To thisend, we estimated and compared the growth rates and size at sexual maturity of threepopulations of the fiddler crab Minuca vocator, located at latitude 23° S, in mangroves of thesubtropical Brazilian coast. Variations in the growth rate of the abdominal width of females andof the propodus of the major cheliped of males were assessed by the allometric technique. Theabdomen growth rates of females and the cheliped growth rates of males varied among the threepopulations, resulting in different sizes at maturity. These results do not support our predictionthat growth rates and size at sexual maturity would remain stable in populations of the samelatitude range. The differences in these life history traits could be a consequence of contrastinglocal conditions among mangroves. Therefore, we suggest that these crabs show plasticity andresponsiveness to local-scale environmental variations, to optimize the energy allocation formaintenance, reproduction, and somatic growth.