[Body size and fecundity of Juxtafabia muliniarum (Brachyura: Pinnotheridae) associated with Saccostrea palmula (Bivalvia: Ostreidae), Costa Rica].
Size and fecundity observations of pea crab (Juxtafabia muliniarum) from the paleal cavity of the oyster Saccostrea palmula were made from May 1998 to May 1999. Infestation frequency was 18.52% in a sample of 540 oysters. Of 136 pea crabs, 36% were couples, 60% were single females and 4% were single males. The mean caparace length of J. muliniarum was 5.6 +/- 0.74 mm (range 4.0 to 7.6 mm) for females and 2.71 +/- 0.60 mm (range 1.6 to 4.0 mm) for males. The mean weight was 0.180 +/- 0.084 g (range 0.06 to 0.4 g) for females and 0.011 +/- 0.003 g (range 0.01 to 0.02 g) for males. Ovigerous females (43.75% of all females) were found in all months. The caparace length-fecundity relationship was F = 3904.6 Ln (Lc)--4651.1. The caparace length-weight relationship was P = 6 x 10(-4) Lc3.2122. The mean sex-ratio was 1.0 male: 2.4 females. Saccostrea palmula infected only by females was the dominant group (60.78%). This mollusk is a new host record for the crab.
Laboratorio de Recursos Naturales y Vida Silvestre, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 86-3000, Costa Rica. jcabrer@samara.una.ac.cr
J
J
Cabrera Peña
M
M
Protti Quesada
M
M
Urriola Hernández
O
O
Sáenz Vargas
R
R
Alfaro Hidalgo
D000818:Animals; D001699:Biometry; D003386:Brachyura / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003364:Costa Rica; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000502:physiology*; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D012623:Seawater; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012744:Sex Ratio