Population biology of the ‘uçá'-crab, Ucides cordatus(Linnaeus, 1763) (Brachyura: Ucididae), in mangroves of the Joanes River, Bahia State, Brazil

ABSTRACTThis study evaluated the population structure, relative growth and morphological maturity size in Ucides cordatus in the Joanes River, Bahia State (Brazil). Crabs were sampled in a fragmented and human-altered mangrove ecosystem in a Brazilian Environmental Protected Area (EPA). A total of 431 crabs were sampled (265 males and 166 females) between September 2011 and August 2012. The following measurements were taken using precision callipers: carapace width (CW) and length (CL), the length of the propodus of the major cheliped (PL, males only), and the width of the 5th somite of the ab...