Fecundidade De Ucides Cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) No Norte Do Espírito Santo, Brasil

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the fecundity of Ucides cordatus key species for the mangrove ecosystem. Fecundity in crustaceans is defined as the number of eggs produced during the spawning, generally evaluated by the relationship between cephalothorax width and number of eggs. Ovigerous female (n = 45) were collected in the estuary of the São Mateus River, Espírito Santo. Morphological variables (width, carapace length and wet weight) were measured and the ovigerous mass collected. Fertility was estimated by the gravimetric technique. The population, on average, had a cephalothorax width (WC) of 59.91 (± 9.10 mm), wet weight (WW) of 91.58 (± 36.06 g), wet weight of ovigerous mass (WOM) in 8.27 (± 2.98 g), and fecundity (F) in 170.080 ± (31.859 eggs/female). Fertility and the other variables showed positive correlations (p < 0.05), confirming that the increase in the number of eggs is closely related to the body increase. The variability of F as a function of LC was explained by the Potential model (R² = 0.45; p < 0.05), used to predict the number of eggs produced by females with different sizes, in a given population. Analyzes of the estimated reproductive potential contributes to public policies for managing the species, as it diagnoses environmental changes arising from impacts and pressures to capture. This study supports management actions and sustainable exploitation of this important ecological and economic resource, due to the scarcity of studies involving the reproductive attributes of the species in Brazil.