Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T17:46:52.840Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Population Biology of Liocarcinus Depurator (Brachyura: Portunidae) In Mussel Raft Culture AreasIn The Ría De Arousa (Galicia, Nw Spain)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

L. Fernández ,
E. González-Gurriarán  and
J. Freire
L. Fernández
Affiliation:
Departamento Bioloxia Animal, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruňa, 15071–A Coruňa, Spain
E. González-Gurriarán
Affiliation:
Departamento Bioloxia Animal, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruňa, 15071–A Coruňa, Spain
J. Freire
Affiliation:
Departamento Bioloxia Animal, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruňa, 15071–A Coruňa, Spain
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The population biology of the crab Liocarcinus depurator was studied for one year in the mussel raft culture areas of the Ria de Arousa. The density and biomass of this species is much higher in the raft areas, especially in the outer part of the ria, than in the central channel area. Maximum abundance occurred during the winter months (up to 8-80 g wet weight m and 0-44 individuals m.

Maturity size in females was set at 28-30 mm carapace width, (based on ovigerous females) and is attained in the first year of life. The ovigerous females were most abundant in January (approximately 70% of the mature females), but another less important maximum value was observed in May, attributable to a second spawning. Modifications in the sex ratio from 1:1 affected individuals larger than the maturity size during the season when there was a greater number of ovigerous females present. Data on sex ratio and breeding cycle indicate that ovigerous females move towards the raft areas located in the outer part of the ria. Trawl recruitment took place in the stations located in the outer Ria, and mainly in August-September, although it continued to a lesser extent in autumn.

The Von Bertalanffy growth function was fitted to both sexes in the two outer stations. Growth rate was higher in males than in females, while variability between stations was less important. However the growth rate and reproductive output of L. depurator in the Ria de Arousa was higher than in populations from other geographical areas, possibly because of the availability of food from the rafts and or the oceanographic conditions in the ria.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 71 , Issue 2 , May 1991 , pp. 375 - 390
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abello, P 1986.Analisi de les Poblacions de Crustacis Decapodes Demersals al Litoral Catala: Aspectes Biologies del Braquiur Liocarcinus depurator. Tesis doctoral, Universitat de Barcelona. 285pp.Google Scholar
Abello, P 1989. Reproduction and moulting in Liocarcinus depurator (Linnaeus, 1758) (Brachyura: Portunidae) in the northwestern Mediterranean sea. Scientia Marina, 53 (1), 127–134.Google Scholar
Conan, G.Y 1978. Life history, growth, production, and biomass modelling of Emerita analoga, Nephrops norvegicus, and Homarus vulgaris (Crustacea, Decapoda). PhD Thesis, University of California, San Diego, ScrippsInstitution of Oceanography. 349 pp.Google Scholar
Drach, P & Tchernigovtzeff, C 1967. Sur le methode de determination des estades d'intermue et son application generate aux crustaces. Vie et Milieu, 18, 595–609.Google Scholar
Edwards, E 1979. The edible crab and its fishery in British Waters. 142 pp. Fishing News Books Ltd, Surrey.Google Scholar
Freire, JFernandez, L & Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E 1990. Influence of mussel raft culture on the diet of Liocarcinus arcuatus (Leach) (Brachyura: Portunidae) in the Ria de Arousa (Galicia, NW Spain). Journal of Shellfish Research, 9, 45–57.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E 1978. Introduction al estudio de la alimentation en la necora, Macropipus puber (L.)(Decapoda - Brachyura). Boletin del Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, 4(242), 81–93.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E 1982. Estudio de la comunidad de crustaceos decapodos (Brachyura) en la Ria de Arousa (Galicia - NW Espana), y su relation con el cultivo de mejillon en batea. Boletin del Instituto Espanol deOceanografia, 7(346), 223–254.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E 1985a. Reproduction de la necora Macropipus puber (L.) (Decapoda, Brachyura), y ciclo reproductive en la Ria de Arousa (Galicia, NW Espana). Boletin del Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, 2(1), 10–32.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E 1985b Crecimiento de la necora Macropipus puber (L.) (Decapoda, Brachyura) en la Riade Arousa (Galicia, NW Espana), y primeros datos sobre la dinamica de la poblacion. Boletin del Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, 2(1), 33–51.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E 1986. Seasonal changes of benthic megafauna in the Ria de Muros e Noia (Galicia, North-West Spain). II Decapod crustaceans (Brachyura). Marine Biology, 92, 201–210.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E & Olaso, I 1987. Cambios espaciales y temporales de los Crustaceos Decapodos dela plataforma continental de Galicia (NW de Espana). Investigacion Pesquera, 51 (supplement 1), 323–341.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Gurriaran, EFreire, JFernandez, L & Poza, E 1989. Incidencia del cultivo de mejilldn en la dieta de Liocarcinus depurator (L.) (Brachyura: Portunidae) en la Ria de Arousa (Galicia, NW Espana). Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 30, 307–319.Google Scholar
Hines, A.H 1982. Allometric constraints and variables of reproductive effort in brachyuran crabs. Marine Biology, 69, 309–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iglesias, J 1981. Spatial and temporal changes in the demersal fish community of the Ria de Arousa (Galicia, NW Spain). Marine Biology, 65, 199–208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iglesias, J & Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E 1984. Primeros datos sobre la megafauna bentonica de la Ria de Pontevedra: Peces demersales y crustaceos decapodos (Brachyura). Cuadernos da Area de Ciencias Marinas, Seminario de Estudos Galegos, 1, 303–319.Google Scholar
Iglesias, Ml & Nunes, T 1982. Variacion anual de los parametros fisicoquimicos en la Ria de Arosa. Boletin del Instituto Espanol de Oceanograft'a, 7(2), 181–190.Google Scholar
Lopez-Jamar, EIglesias, J & Otero, J.J 1984. Contribution of infauna and mussel-raft epifauna to demersal fish diets. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 15, 13–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macdonald, P.D.M & Green, P.E.J 1985. User's Guide to Program MIX: an Interactive Program for Fitting Mixtures of Distributions. Hamilton, Ontario: Ichturus Data Systems.Google Scholar
Macdonald, P.D.M & Pitcher, T.J 1979. Age-groups from size frequency data: a versatile and efficient method of analyzing distribution mixtures. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 36, 987–1001.Google Scholar
Martin, J 1980. Abondance des larves d'etrille (Macropipus puber, L.), d'araignee (Maia squinado, Herbest) et de tourteau (Cancer pagurus, L.) sur le cote ouest du Cotentin (Manche) de 1977 a 1979. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (CM Papers and Reports), Shellfish Committee, K:21, 15 pp.Google Scholar
Mori, M 1987. Observations on reproductive biology, and diet of Macropipus tuberculatus (Roux) of the Ligurian Sea. Investigation Pesquera, 51 (supplement 1), 147–152.Google Scholar
Mori, M & Zunino, P 1987. Aspects of the biology of Liocarcinus depurator (L.) in the Ligurian Sea. Investigation Pesquera, 51 (supplement 1), 135–145.Google Scholar
Olaso, I 1982. Ecologia de los equinodermos de la Ria de Arosa. Boletin del Instituto Espanol de Oceanograft' a, 7(334), 3–29.Google Scholar
Rice, A.L & Ingle, R.W 1975. A comparative study of the larval morphology of the British portunid crabs Macropipus puber (L.) and M. holsatus (Fabricius), with a discussion of generic and sub-familial larval characters within the Portunidae. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Zoology), 28, 121–151.Google Scholar
Romero, PGonzalez-Gurriaran, E & Penas, E 1982. Influence of mussel rafts on spatial and seasonal abundance of crabs in the Ria de Arousa, North-West Spain. Marine Biology, 72, 201–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saila, S.BRecksiek, C.W & Prager, M.H 1988. Basic Fishery Science Programs. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Scheltema, R.S., 1986. On dispersal and planktonic larvae of benthic invertebrates: an eclectic overview and summary of problems. Bulletin of Marine Science, 39, 290–322.Google Scholar
Wear, R.G 1974. Incubation in British decapod Crustacea, and the effects of temperature on the rate and success of embryonic development. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 54, 745–762.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wenner, A. M 1972. Sex ratio as a function of size in marine Crustacea. American Naturalist, 106, 321–351.Google Scholar