Reproductive period of the swimming crab Callinectes danae at the Santa Cruz Channel, a highly productive tropical estuary in Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Araújo,Marina de Sá Leitão Câmara de
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Outros Autores: Negromonte,Aurinete de Oliveira, Barreto,Aline do Vale
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Nauplius
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-64972011000200007
• topic: Brachyura; breeding season; reproductive migration

The aim of this study was to analyze reproductive aspects of Callinectes danae in one of the most productive estuarine systems in the Northeast Brazil, Santa Cruz Channel. A total of 1.573 individuals, being 756 females (23 ovigerous) and 817 males were examined from January to December 2009. Mature males and females, as well as couples of C. danae, occurred in all months of the year. Ovigerous females occurred in nearly all months. The reproductive activity, based on the macroscopic observation of the gonads, occurs continuously, with distinguishable peaks in February, March and September. Ovigerous females were only recorded nearest to the sea, while couples were only in the inner estuary. Thus, a migration pattern is proposed, with couples mating inside the estuary, followed by a migration of females to the area of greater marine influence for egg laying and, probably, larval release. After this, probably the females of do not return to the estuary, characterizing habitat partitioning. The present study is the first contribution on the reproductive period of C. danae in an estuarine ecosystem of the Brazilian northeast coast, and elucidates some aspects of its reproductive behavior.