Somatic growth in juveniles of the estuarine crab Chasmagnathus granulata Dana 1851 (Brachyura, Grapsidae), under laboratory conditions

ABSTRACT: Male and female juvenile crabs of the species Chasmagnathus granulata were collected in SamborombonBay (Argentina), on October 1994 and February 1995; these dates correspond to the beginning and end of thereproductive period of the species, respectively. No differences in the initial size (measured as carapace width, CW)existed between both clutches. Each clutch of juveniles was observed during a 1-year period, recording the percentageof molted crabs, intermolt period and percentual increment of size after each molting. At the end of the observationperiod, males and females from the October clutch reached the size of sexual maturity, while crabs of the remainingclutch did not. This difference was due to the higher increment in size of the October crabs at the third and fourthmolts, compared to the February ones. Such difference seems to be related to an increase in reproductive effort duringthe breeding season, once the sexual maturity was attained. Key words: somatic growth, juveniles, crabs, laboratory conditions.

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