Population biology and fecundity of the Indo-Pacific hermit crab Clibanarius longitarsus (Anomura: Diogenidae)

Abstract

The population biology and reproduction of the hermit crab Clibanarius longitarsus were studied with emphasis on size structure, sex ratio, breeding season and fecundity. Specimens were sampled monthly over a period of one year (January^December 2003) at Costa do Sol mangrove, Maputo Bay, southern Mozambique. A total of 597 individuals was obtained of which 202 were males, 192 non-ovigerous females and 203 ovigerous females. Annual size^frequency distributions were polymodal for males and bimodal for non-ovigerous and ovigerous females, respectively. Sexual dimorphism was recorded by the larger average size attained by males in relation to females. Sex ratio was female-biased during most months of the study. Clibanarius longitarsus showed a higher reproductive activity with two major peaks (March and October). Juvenile recruitment was continuous throughout the study period. Clutch size was positively associated with female size. The high number of ovigerous females as obtained in the present population may evidence a higher reproductive activity displayed by C. longitarsus at Costa do Sol mangrove.

Shell use by the hermit crab <i>Calcinus californiensis</i> at different levels of the intertidal zone

“…In contrast, a similar proportion of males and females has been reported for Dardanus insignis (De Saussure, 1858;Ayres-Peres et al, 2008). Variations in the sex ratio between seasons have been reported for Clibanarius longitarsus (De Haan, 1849;Litulo, 2005), C. vittatus (Lowery and Nelson, 1988), and Diogenes nitidimanus Terao, 1913(Asakura, 1995, though in our study similar sex distribution patterns were found in the different wave-action sites in March and August.…”

Brachyuran and anomuran crabs associated with Schizoporella unicornis (Ectoprocta, Cheilostomata) from southeastern Brazil

“…The sex determination for anomurans was based on the gonopore position (females on the coxa of the third pereiopod and males on the coxa of the fifth pereiopod), and the individuals were identified as juvenile or adult considering the size of the smallest ovigerous females obtained in the samples. For those species, which no ovigerous females was recorded, the size of smallest ones obtained by Litulo (2005) and Miranda and Mantelatto (2009) was used. The sex ratio was estimated and tested by Chi-square (p < 0.05) (Zar 1999).…”

Breeding season of the hermit crabDardanus deformisH. Milne Edwards, 1836 (Anomura, Diogenidae) in Maputo Bay, southern Mozambique

“…Breeding seasons of hermit crabs have in some cases been frequently described and reveal continuous to seasonal patterns (Manjó n-Cabeza and Garcia-Raso 1998;Turra and Leite 2000;Martinelli et al 2002;Turra et al 2002;Macpherson and Raventos 2004;Litulo 2005). Reproductive activity has been shown to be influenced by morphology of the shell used by the crabs (Carlon and Ebersole 1995;Turra and Leite 1999;Mantelatto et al 2002).…”