Petrônio Alves Coelho

Camarões de água doce do Brasil: distribuição geográfica

The authors have studied the geographical distribution of 33 freshwater prawn species found in Brazil and surrounding areas, as part of a research project which views the development of a national technology for the freshwater prawn culture. The fauna comprises litoral species found in lowlands along the coast, in areas limited at the south by the 15oC isotherm for the average air temperature of the coldest month, and continental species, which can be separated in tropical, subtropical and temperature ones, whose occurrence areas were delimited by the 20oC and 15oC average air temperature of the coldest month.

Crustáceos decápodos da costa do Maranhão, Brasil

This paper presents a list of crustacean decapods occuring in the State of Maranhao coast, Brazil, based on the study of collections of the Departamento de Oceanografia (Universidade Federal de Pernambuco) and Laboratorio de Hidrobiologia (Fundacao Universidade do Maranhao) and on litterature records. There are recorded 149 species (37 species of Natantia and 112 species of Reptantia).

Maturidade sexual fisiológica em Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille) (Crustacea, Brachyura, Grapsidae) no Estuário do Paripe, Pernambuco, Brasil

O presente estudo analisou a maturidade sexual fisiologica de Goniopsis cruentata no estuario do rio Paripe, Pernambuco, Brasil. Os caranguejos foram amostrados mensalmente de agosto 1999 a julho de 2000, com uma aparelho de pesca artezanal e com esforco de pesca de uma hora. Depois da amostragem, todos os individuos foram sexados, a largura da carapaca (LC) foi medida e o organismo dissecado para analise macroscopica das gonadas. Foram analisados um total de 664 especimens (324 machos, 228 femeas sem ovos e 112 ovigeras) com a predominância de individuos maturos para ambos os sexos. O tamanho em que 50% dos machos apresentam-se fisiologicamente maturos na populacao amostrada e de 31,64 mm e as femeas com 28 mm. A menor femea ovigera encontrada mediu 30,5 mm. Para G. cruentata foi observado uma sincronia no inicio da maturidade sexual para ambos os sexos. Este fato e usualmente encontrado entre os Brachyura, particularmente entre grapsideos.

Synopsis of the brazilian decapod crustaceans (Portunidae)

This paper presents a contribution to the study of the Crustacea, Decapoda of Brazil, including identification keys and informations on species range. Data related to the species of family Portunidae are published.

Determinação da maturidade sexual de Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Brachyura, Ucididae) em duas áreas de manguezal do litoral sul de Pernambuco, Brasil

Este estudo foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de determinar o tamanho da maturidade morfologica e fisiologica de machos e femeas em duas populacoes de Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) de Tamandare, Pernambuco, Brasil. Os caranguejos foram coletados mensalmente (abril/2008 a marco/2009) nos manguezais dos rios Ariquinda e Mamucabas, por um catador, atraves da tecnica de braceamento, durante a mare baixa em tres areas distintas de 25 m2 cada. Os caranguejos capturados foram separados por sexo e medidos (largura da carapaca, comprimento do propodo do quelipodo dos machos e largura do 5o somito abdominal das femeas). Alem disso, os caranguejos foram caracterizados em relacao ao estagio de desenvolvimento gonadal. Os caranguejos com gonadas imaturas e rudimentares foram considerados jovens, enquanto os demais foram classificados como adultos (gonada em desenvolvimento, desenvolvida, avancada ou esgotada). O tamanho da largura da carapaca no qual 50% da populacao de U. cordatus foi considerada madura morfologicamente foi de 38,0 mm (machos) e 35,4 mm (femeas) em Ariquinda, enquanto para Mamucabas estes valores foram de 37,3 e 32,9 mm, respectivamente. Na determinacao da maturidade sexual fisiologica, os machos e femeas de Ariquinda foram considerados maduros com 38,5 e 37,8 mm, respectivamente, enquanto em Mamucabas os tamanhos obtidos foram de 36,2 e 35,8 mm. A maturidade morfologica dos machos ocorreu com tamanho superior ao das femeas, provavelmente devido ao seu maior investimento em crescimento somatico, enquanto as femeas investem mais no processo reprodutivo. Os caranguejos provenientes do manguezal de Mamucabas atingiram a maturidade sexual com tamanhos inferiores aos de Ariquinda, provavelmente devido ao maior impacto verificado para este manguezal.

Revisão de Podochela Stimpson e gêneros afins nas costas caribenha e atlântica da América do Sul (Crustacea, Decapoda, Inachidae)

A review of ten Podochela Stimpson, 1860 species found in South American Caribbean and Atlantic coasts is carried out. Three species remain in the genus Podochela: P. brasiliensis Coelho, 1972, P. grossipes Stimpson, 1860, and P. macrodera Stimpson, 1860. Podochela atlantica Coelho, 1977, is removed to Anisonotus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879; P. riisei Stimpson, 1860 is transferred to Coryrhynchus Kingsley, 1879, and P. botti Turkay, 1968, P. gracilipes Stimpson, 1871, and P. minuscula Coelho, 1972 are moved to Ericerodes Rathbun, 1897; Coryrhynchus algicola Stebbing, 1914 (classified as Podochela by several authors), remains as Coryrhynchus. Podochela meloi Sankarankutty, Ferreira & Cunha, 2001, is removed to Inachoides H. Milne-Edwards & Lucas, 1843 (Inachoididae). Diagnostic characters and identification keys for genera and species studied are provided.

Descrição de Austinixa bragantina sp. nov. (Crustacea, Decapoda, Pinnotheridae) do litoral do Pará, Brasil

Austinixa bragantina sp. nov., found in Para coast associated with the Callianassid Lepidophthalmus siriboia Felder & Rodrigues, 1993 and Callichirus major (Say, 1818), is described.

Width-weight relationship and condition factor of Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Decapoda, Ucididae) at tropical mangroves of Northeast Brazil

The present contribution aims at evaluating the carapace width vs. humid weight relationship and the condition factor of Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763), in the mangrove forests of the Ariquinda and Mamucabas rivers, state of Pernambuco, Brazil. These two close areas present similar characteristics of vegetation and substrate, but exhibit different degrees of environmental conservation: the Ariquinda River is the preserved area, considered one of the last non-polluted of Pernambuco, while the Mamucabas River suffers impacts from damming, deforestation and deposition of waste. A total of 1,298 individuals of U. cordatus were collected. Males were larger and heavier than females, what is commonly observed in Brachyura. Ucides cordatus showed allometric negative growth (p < 0.05), which is probably related to the dilatation that this species develops in the lateral of the carapace, which stores six pairs of gills. The values of b were within the limit established for aquatic organisms. Despite of the condition factor being considered an important feature to confirm the reproductive period, since it varies with cyclic activities, in the present study it was not correlated to the abundance of ovigerous females. However, it was considered a good parameter to evaluate environmental impacts, being significantly lower at the impacted area.

Composition and spatial distribution of subtidal decapoda on the "Reef Coast", northeastern Brazil, evaluated through a low-impact visual census technique

This study investigated the composition and spatial distribution of the sublittoral decapods on the reefs of Porto de Galinhas Beach, southern coast of Pernambuco, Brazil, through the Underwater Visual Census technique. Data were collected monthly, at night during full-moon tides in low tide periods from June 2004 to May 2005, using SCUBA diving and a visual census with a fixed belt transect (20 m long). Three sampling areas were defined: Confined Waters (low hydrodynamics) with shallow sites (up to 2.5 m deep); Semi-open Water (3 to 6 m deep), influenced by waves and tidal currents (moderate hydrodynamics); and Open Water (7 to 10 m deep), in the breaker zone (high hydrodynamics). A total of 6,287 individuals of 34 species belonging to the infraorders Brachyura (19 species), Achelata and Anomura (5 species each), Caridea (3 species), and Stenopodidea and Astacidea (1 species each) were collected. Two decapod assemblages were distinguished: in a habitat with low hydrodynamics and shallow (Confined) water; and in a habitat with moderate to high hydrodynamics and depths of 3 to 10 m (Semi-open and Open water). At the sites with high hydrodynamics, i.e., the Open-water Area in the breaker zone, decapod diversity was significantly lower than in the other, protected areas on the reef bench. These results suggest that the distribution of subtidal decapods on coastal reefs is influenced by depth and exposure to water stress caused by waves and currents (hydrodynamics). The visual census technique with SCUBA proved to be suitable for ecological studies on subtidal decapods.

The larval development of Pinnixa gracilipes Coelho (Decapoda, Pinnotheridae) reared in the laboratory

Pinnixa gracilipes Coelho, 1997 e um pequeno caranguejo pinoterideo que vive em associacao com Lepidophthalmus siriboia Felder & Rodrigues, 1993 no nordeste do Estado do Para, Brasil. Larvas de P. gracilipes foram cultivadas em laboratorio desde o nascimento ao estagio megalopa. O desenvolvimento completo durou cerca de 24 dias. O periodo medio de cada estagio foi 5, 4, 4, 5 e 6 dias, respectivamente. No presente trabalho, os cinco estagios zoeae e megalopa sao descritos e ilustrados em detalhes. Comparacoes morfologicas com estudos anteriores sobre larvas da familia Pinnotheridae sao brevemente discutidas.