Population dynamics of Aegla manuinflata Bond-Buckup and Santos 2009 (Decapoda: Aeglidae), an threatened species
AIM: We evaluate the population density, median size of males and females, age distribution, sex-ratio, reproductive period and recruitment period of the threatened species Aegla manuinflata. METHODS: Monthly samplings were made from May 2006 to April 2007 in the Passo Taquara stream, Brazil. An extra sampling was performed at each season of the year in order to determine population density. Animals were captured with traps and handnets. All the captured specimens were sexed and had their cephalotoraccic length measured with a digital caliper (0.01 mm), and were then released back in the stream. RESULTS: A total of 888 individuals were analyzed, including 17 unsexed juveniles, 572 males, 274 females and 25 ovigerous females. A mean population density of 1.52 ind/m² was estimated. Males showed median sizes larger than females (p < 0.01). Age distribution was bimodal for both males and females. Females predominated in intermediary size-classes, while males were more abundant in the larger classes, with no differences for the lower classes. The sex-ratio, in general, followed the expected 1:1 proportion only in the months of May, October and November (p > 0.05). Males and females caught only with handnet follow the expected 1:1 proportion in all months of the year (p > 0.05), demonstrating that the sampling method clearly affects the results. Ovigerous females and juveniles were registered in all seasons of the year and there is no significant different in the proportion of these animals among the seasons (p > 0.05), indicating continuous reproduction. CONCLUSIONS: Population data of this study can be used as a basis for the creation of conservation measures of A. manuinflata, since the species is considered vulnerable.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Associação Brasileira de Limnologia
2014
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| Online Access: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2179-975X2014000200006 |
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