title: Preliminary survey of a nemertean crab egg predator, Carcinonemertes, on its host crab, Callinectesarcuatus (Decapoda, Portunidae) from Golfo de Nicoya, Pacific Costa Rica.
abstract: The possible presence of egg predators in brood masses of portunid crabs from Pacific Central America has not been studied yet. This survey reports the finding of a nemertean crab egg predator on the portunid crab, Callinectesarcuatus, from the Golfo de Nicoya, Pacific Costa Rica. Nemerteans were found in the egg masses of 26 out of the 74 crabs for a prevalence of 35%. The intensity (mean number of worms/ infected crab) was estimated to be 18 with a variance of 1-123 worms/infected crab. No nemerteans were observed either in the 19 Callinectesarcuatus from Golfo Dulce (southern Pacific coast) and the 10 Portunusasper from Herradura-Jaco (central Pacific coast). This nemertean is a member of the genus Carcinonemertes, which has been reported from the Caribbean coast of Panama. However, the encountered Carcinonemertes sp. is the first published finding and report from Costa Rica and Pacific Central America.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, 84408-2505 USA.
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.affiliation: Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, 11501-2060 San José, COSTA RICA ; Unidad de Investigación Pesquera y Acuicultura (UNIP) of the Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Marinas y Limnología (CIMAR), Universidad de Costa Rica, 11501-2060 San José, COSTA RICA.
authors.forename: Ingo S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Wehrtmann
keywords: Callinectesarcuatus; Central America; crab egg predator; egg mortality