José Roberto Feitosa Silva

Testis and vas deferens morphology of the red-clawed mangrove tree crab (Goniopsis cruentata) (Latreille, 1803)

Caranguejos sao um importante recurso economico para a populacao litorânea e o conhecimento dos aspectos reprodutivos fornecem base para o manejo das especies. O presente estudo descreve a estrutura do testiculo e do vaso deferente do caranguejo Goniopsis cruentata, e discute aspectos relacionados a formacao do espermatoforo. O testiculo e um orgao pareado, em forma de H, situado logo abaixo da carapaca dorsal, enquanto o vaso deferente e bilateral e esta localizado abaixo do coracao. O testiculo e o vaso deferente foram fixados em solucao Bouin fria e submetidos a rotina histologica. A microscopia de luz revelou que o testiculo e dividido em tres regioes: anterior, que contem a zona germinativa; medio, onde estao localizados os ductos coletores; e posterior. O vaso deferente, continuo com o testiculo, e dividido em duas regioes: a primeira correspondendo as expansoes e a segunda formada por um epitelio cubico, fibras colagenas, camada circular de celulas musculares e glândula androgenica. Spermatophores were observed in both vas deferens regions, sugerindo sua participacao na maturacao dos espermatozoides, tornando o macho apto funcionalmente para a fecundacao.

Histochemical study of the ovarian development of the blue land crab Cardisoma guanhumi (Crustacea: Gecarcinidae)

The reproductive tract of female Cardisoma guanhumi was macroscopically and microscopically described. The stages of sexual maturation were defined and related to gonad coloration and to the degree of development of the germ cells, including oogonia (diameter 14.17 ± 0.97 µm), forming nests in the germ zone; pre-vitellogenic oocytes (PVO, 51.02 ± 2.90 µm) of a basophilic nature, with one or two nucleoli; vitellogenic oocytes (VO, 110.93 ± 7.04 µm) of acidophilic nature; mature oocytes (MO, 237.52 ± 13.54 µm), revealing the chorion; and atretic oocytes (AO). Follicular cells were found close to germ cells. The following gonad development stages were identified: immature (translucent color, germ zone containing oogonia, and peripheral maturation zone with PVO); maturing (color ranging from yellow to dark brown; maturation zone with VO); mature (dark brown color; predominance of MO in maturation zone); spawning (dark brown or yellow color, containing oocytes in early atresia, stage observed in ovigerous females); and resting (translucent to yellow color, thick gonad wall, and residual AO).

Desenvolvimento dos ovários da lagosta Panulirus echinatus (Crustacea: Palinuridae) baseados nas análises macroscópica, microscópica e relação gonadossomática (RGS)

The developmental stages of the ovaries of the lobster Panulirus echinatus Smith, 1869 were characterized using macroscopic and microscopic features and the gonadosomatic relation (GSR). Based on monthly samples (November, 1999 to October, 2000), a total of 711 females were captured using gillnets. The dorsal region of the carapace was removed to evaluate the ovaries, which were dissected, weighted, preserved in Bouins solution, and submitted to histological procedures. The microscopic analysis of the ovaries was assessed by the presence of germinative cells in different developmental phases. When this analysis was combined with macroscopical observations (changes in color and volume of the gonads in the cephalothorax) and GSR, five developmental stages could be identified: immature (I), intermediate (II); pre-maturation (III); mature (IV) and post-spawning stage (V). Statistical analyses confirmed that GSR can be used as an indicator of developmental stage.

Population biology of the crab Goniopsis cruentata: variation in body size, sexual maturity, and population density

We studied two key traits in the life of organisms, body size and sexual maturity, and a population attribute, density, of the crab Goniopsis cruentata. Also, we evaluated the role of environmental factors on population density. We caught crabs in two mangrove sites that are under different influence of tidal fluctuation, and obtained pH and salinity of mangrove soil from each site as well as rainfall data for the period of study. Both body size and sexual maturity differed between sites, in which individuals from the small-bodied population matured at smaller sizes than their counterparts from the large-bodied population, which matured at larger sizes. In addition, density of the small-bodied population was lower than that of the large-bodied one. We did not detect any influence of the environmental factors on population density. Our finding indicate that key life history traits and population characteristics can vary on a very small spatial scale which may help to further elucidate the biology of natural populations.

Sexual dimorphism, deformations, and epibionts of Phrynops tuberosus(Testudines, Chelidae)

Studies focusing on the natural history of species are essential for developing effective conservation measures and evaluating ecological hypotheses. To this end, we describe natural history data of the Cotinga River toadhead turtle, Phrynops tuberosus , in the Banabuiu River in Ceara, Brazil, and evaluated sexual dimorphism, epibionts, and mutilation effects. We hand-captured 134 individuals by snorkeling, over a period of one year, resulting in the capture of 94 males, 24 females, and 16 juveniles. Females had larger head width and body mass than males, while males had longer tail length. One quarter of the turtles captured had some sort of injury or deformation, most common injuries being missing claws, mutilations, and shell deformations. We found no difference in body condition index between mutilated and non-mutilated animals. Mollusks, insects, and leeches were found as epibionts on P. tuberosus and most of the captured turtles had extensive algal cover. Future studies should focus on understanding the effect of mutilations on animal fitness and reproductive success.

Histological evaluation of the viability of swine ovarian follicles submitted to differents transport conditions

Most of the oocytes used in reproductive biotechnologies come from ovaries obtained at locations geographically distant from specialized laboratories. Thus, this work evaluated the viability of ovarian follicles in different transport conditions to identify which best suits the success of the treatment. Ovary pigs (32) were obtained from a slaughterhouse, a pair being used as a control group fixed in 10% formaldehyde. The other pairs were immersed in 0.9% saline solution and maintained at temperatures of 4 and 35.5 ° C for periods of 2, 16 and 24 hours. After these times, the ovaries were fixed in 10% formaldehyde for 24 hours and submitted to histological routine with Revista Brasileira de Higiene e Sanidade Animal Brazilian Journal of Hygiene and Animal Sanity ISSN: 1981-2965 I

Comparative biology of the crab Goniopsis cruentata: geographic variation of body size, sexual maturity, and allometric growth

Abstract Geographic variation of phenotypic traits is common across species and is often associated with variation in environmental conditions. Here, we found larger bodies and larger size at maturity in a northward, lower latitude population of the crab Goniopsis cruentata, which inhabits a hotter, drier environment in comparison with a southward, higher latitude population. Furthermore, the juvenile male gonopods grow more relative to body size in the population characterized by maturation at a smaller size. In contrast, the female abdomen widens at a higher rate among the late maturing population. These results provide further evidence that local environmental conditions play a role in phenotypic variation between populations inhabiting different latitudes. Moreover, they also show that variation in size at maturity and body size can lead to divergent allometric patterns of sexual characteristics that can have a sex-specific response.

Temporal variation in the weight-size relationship of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus L. (Decapoda: Ucididae) in relation to its life cycle phases

The relationship between weight and size of individuals can be used to evaluate the status of a population, which is particularly useful for natural populations that are being exploited. Ucides cordatus occurs on the Atlantic coast of the American continent, from Florida (USA) to Santa Catarina (Brazil). This species is economically very important, most of all in the Northeastern area of Brazil, as well as in the Dominican Republic and Suriname. The objective of this study was to analyze life phases (‘fattening’, ‘matumba’, ‘milk-crab’, ‘maturation’ and ‘walking’) by use of the weight-length relationships, as well as temporal variations in this condition factor for each sex of U. cordatus. For this purpose, individuals were sampled monthly for twenty-four months at the Jaguaribe River estuary, Ceara State, Northeastern Brazil. The relationship between total weight and cephalothorax width was established using regression analysis, adjusted by a power equation. The dynamics of the condition factor were analyzed for each sex using the variation of its averages related to annual life cycle; this was done for each of the previously-mentioned phases. The relationship between total weight and cephalothorax width showed an isometric growth in males and negative allometric growth in females suggesting that, for the same reference size, males are heavier than females. When considering the average of the female condition factors, these were greater than those for males during the annual life cycle, except during the ‘maturation’ phase, which is the phase with a higher demand of energetic reserves for males. Annual variation of the condition factor in females presented no significant difference.

Reproductive behavior of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea; Brachyura; Ucididae)

The aim of the present work was to study the reproductive behavior of the mangrove crab (Ucides cordatus) in the estuary of the Igaracu River (Piaui, Brazil). Courtship and mating were observed in December 2007 and in January-March 2009. The most frequently observed reproductive behavior was the transference of eggs onto the abdomen of the female. Some disputes between males and some copulations were observed. The males mated with more than one female each night and all mating activity occurred at night. The establishment of a closed season coinciding with the mating season represented an effective strategy for the preservation of the species when the socioeconomic situation of the community of gatherers was taken into account.