Morphological variability in populations of the fiddler crab Leptuca uruguayensis (Nobili, 1901) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Ocypodidae) from South America
Abstract A comparative study on size and shape of Leptuca uruguayensis was carried out between populations from Garças River, Brazil (BP), and Solís Grande River, Uruguay (UP). The size of the onset of sexual maturity was also estimated for UP. A total of 36 crabs BP and 387 crabs UP were analyzed. In the relative growth analysis, carapace width (CW) for both sexes, major cheliped length (LMC) for males and abdomen width (AW) for females were measured. The centroid size of carapace (1.40±0.19 cm BP and 1.88±0.30 cm UP) and cheliped (1.16±0.22 cm BP and 1.58±0.45 cm UP) differed significantly (p<0.001). The shape also differed significantly (p<0.001), having UP wider carapace than BP, rostrum projected forward and posterior margin positioned more anteriorly; the cheliped of UP was also wider than BP. In UP, males' CW ranged 4.28-19.5 mm and females' 2.53-16.3 mm CW; males' LMC ranged 1.79-31.60 mm and females' AW, 0.80-8.53 mm. The onset of sexual maturity of UP was estimated in 12.20 mm CW for males and 7.81 mm for females. These differences are likely related to abiotic variables acting distinctly in the two localities.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto Oceanográfico
2017
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| Online Access: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-87592017000300373 |
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