BIOLOGIA POPULACIONAL DO CARANGUEJO DE ÃGUA DOCE Trichodactylus petropolitanus NO CÃRREGO DA MINA, CAÃAPAVA, SP: MONITORAMENTO AMBIENTAL A PARTIR DE ESTUDO DE POPULAÃÃES ANIMAIS / Population biology of the freshwater crab Trichodactylus petropolitanus in the CÃrrego da Mina, CaÃapava, SP: environmental monitoring from animal population studies

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2005

RESUMO

The freshwater crab Trichodactylus petropolitanus (GÃldi, 1886), is an endemic Brazilian species with occurrence in the States of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, SÃo Paulo, Paranà and Santa Catarina, being its distribution widely coincident with the domain of the almost extinct Mata AtlÃntica forest. Besides its importance in the trofic web of lotic systems (rivers and streams), few is known on the Brazilian freshwater crabs biology. Knowing of basic requirements of fauna and the specific traits of each system and microhabitat can generate subsides for the establishment of management plans and environmental monitoring. On this way, the present study aim to generate information on the population biology aspects and about the microhabitat inhabiting by T. petropolitanus in a little stream (23Â10â37ââS e 45Â41â28âW) localized in a farmland at CaÃapava city, SP. Monthly samples were carried out from February 2003 to January 2004 during day time. The crabs were found associated to boundary vegetation of the stream, principally, among the Hedychium coronarium rhizomes, an aquatic macrophyte considered an alien and invasive of degraded environments. Some biological aspects of these crabs were detected in the present work as differential behavior (younger individuals are more actives during day time), differential growth rate between males and females being that males reach the sexual maturity in smaller size (15┤18mm carapace width) than females (>21mm CW). Highest abundance of the species were observed in the warmer and rainner months of the year, period that could be concentrate the reproductive activities due to large availability of water and wetlands in the area. As conclusion of this work, could be say that the population of T. petropolitanus on the study area presents in equilibrium and the alien and invasive macrophytes could be serving as ecological âtoolâ to the biodiversity maintenance of streams and rivers, contributing to the establishment of new niches.

ASSUNTO(S)

freshwater crab population biology controle populacional de animais caranguejo de Ãgua doce biologia populacional riachos macrÃfitas aquÃticas streams aquatic macrophytes

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

Documentos Relacionados