Population structure and sexual maturity of the calico box crab Hepatus epheliticus Linnaeus (Brachyura, Hepatidae) from Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico/Estructura poblacional y madurez sexual en el cangrejo caja moteado Hepatus epheliticus Linnaeus (Brachyura, Hepatidae) procedente de la Península del Yucatán, México

The calico box crab Hepatus epheliticus is an abundant species from shallow and continental shelf waters of the Atlantic coast of USA and Mexico. Information about population structure and sexual maturity is absent, even though this crab is caught to be used as bait for the octopus fishery in the Ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Latin american journal of aquatic research 2012-07, Vol.40 (2), p.480-486
Main Authors: Hernáez, Patricio, Rombenso, Artur, Pinheiro, Marcelo A A, Simões, Nuno
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allometry
Bait
Biometrics
biometry
biometría
Brachyura
Carapace
Continental shelves
Crustaceans
Embryogenesis
estructura poblacional
Females
Fisheries
Hepatidae
Hepatus epheliticus
Juveniles
madurez sexual
Males
Marine crustaceans
Marine molluscs
Maturity
Molting
Morphology
Moulting
México
Ontogeny
península de Yucatán
Population structure
Puberty
Sex differences
Sex ratio
Sexual maturity
Traps
Yucatan Peninsula
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Summary:The calico box crab Hepatus epheliticus is an abundant species from shallow and continental shelf waters of the Atlantic coast of USA and Mexico. Information about population structure and sexual maturity is absent, even though this crab is caught to be used as bait for the octopus fishery in the Campeche Bank, Mexico. In order to achieve such information, a total of 768 individuals were collected from January to March 2010 through baited traps installed in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Our results showed that sex ratio is biased towards more males than females (1:0.55), contradicting to that reported in other brachyuran crabs. The absence of ovigerous females suggests that they did not enter into the traps during embryogenesis. Males reached a larger maximum size than females (64.0 ± 6.15 and 58.4 ± 5.60 mm carapace width, respectively). The general scheme of growth being positive allometric throughout ontogeny of both sexes. Males presented a transition phase from juveniles to adult corresponding to the puberty moult. The estimation of the onset of functional sexual maturity revealed a steady situation for the population, with 21.5 and 13.8% of males and females, respectively, morphologically immature at the time of catch. This study constitutes the first report on population structure and sexual maturity in a population of the calico box crab H. epheliticus. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0718-560X
0718-560X