First record of the non-indigenous portunid crab Charybdis variegata from the western Atlantic coast

Biological invasions are a present and growing environmental problem because non-indigenous organisms may affect the structure and functioning of native communities. In the marine environment there are records of invasive species in almost all phyla, including crustaceans, and the portunid crabs of the genus Charybdis are among the most widespread invasive groups. We report the first record of Charybdis variegata (Fabricius, 1798) from the western Atlantic coast. This species was collected on an intertidal rocky shore near Santos Harbor, São Paulo state, Brazil. Of 311 portunid crabs sampled, 309 individuals belonged to the non-indigenous Charybdis hellerii (A. Milne Edwards, 1867), one was a native Cronius ruber (Lamarck, 1818), and one was identified as the non-indigenous Charybdis variegata. This individual was a juvenile female measuring 27.5 mm in carapace width. The taxonomic traits used for species identification, as well as a morphological comparison between C. hellerii and C. variegata are presented. The introduction route and establishment status of this species are also discussed.FAPESP - 2005/04707-5FAPESP - Biota - 2010/50188-8FAPESP - 2006/57007-3CNPq - FJZ 308215/2010-9CNPq - AT 301240/2006-0CNPq - TTW PiBIC 138732/2011-

Araçá: biodiversity, impacts and threats

Inserida em uma das mais belas e turísticas regiões litorâneas do país - o Litoral Norte do Estado de São Paulo -, a Baía do Araçá (São Sebastião, SP), além de conter remanescentes de manguezal e de abrigar alta diversidade biológica, é também um verdadeiro laboratório a céu aberto e um importante reduto de catadores de moluscos e pescadores artesanais. Com o objetivo de compilar preliminarmente a biodiversidade da baía, este estudo reúne a extensa bibliografia dedicada à região e apresenta a lista das espécies da fauna e da flora formalmente reportadas para o local. O texto sumaria ainda o histórico das alterações antrópicas sofridas nas últimas décadas e destaca certos representantes da fauna (espécies novas, ameaçadas de extinção, bioindicadoras e como recursos naturais), como exemplos da peculiaridade e riqueza biológica dessa pequena baía. Pretende-se, assim, fornecer subsídios para tomadas de decisão e planos de manejo, e despertar a atenção para a preservação desse frágil patrimônio ambiental, uma área que pode ser revitalizada e integrada ao ambiente urbanizado.Araçá Bay (São Sebastião, State of São Paulo), within one of Brazil's most beautiful coastlines, has small relict mangrove stands and a very diverse marine ecosystem. As such, the bay is a natural laboratory as well as important for local small scale fishing. In this study we summarize the large literature base to comprehensibly list the flora and fauna as a preliminary biodiversity inventory of Araçá Bay. We place this in the historical context of human impact on the environment of the bay and we emphasize new, introduced and threatened species as bioindicators and natural resources. With this information, we provide a basis to inform conservation decisions as well as data for conservation management plans and call attention to the urgent need to protect this fragile environment and biota. We also emphasize that this small and uniquely biologically rich bay should be preserved, revitalized and integrated into the growing urban environment

Population biology of the barbel drum Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus (Metzelaar, 1919) (Perciformes: Sciaenidae) in Caraguatatuba Bay, Southeastern Brazil

This study evaluated the population biology of Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus (Perciformes:\ud Sciaenidae) in a shallow non-estuarine coastal area of southeastern Brazil. Monthly samples were\ud taken from October 2003 through October 2004, in two distinct areas at depths from 1 to 4 m. C.\ud gracilicirrhus was generally among the most abundant fish species during the period. Its density was\ud significantly higher in a single sampling month, May 2004, in the South area, which may be\ud explained by its migratory behavior together with its preference for deeper areas. Such behavior may\ud lead to bias in community estimates that use few or only seasonal samples. C. gracilicirrhus\ud individuals ranged from 4.0 to 10.2 cm long, with a main mode from 7.5 to 9.0 cm and a significant\ud decrease in mean size from June onward. The estimation of body growth parameters was\ud compromised by this population feature. Similarly, the prey spectrum was difficult to determine\ud because of the deteriorated condition of the stomach contents, although crustaceans were clearly the\ud most important items ingested. Amphipoda was the only subgroup that could be identified more\ud precisely, mainly by the construction of their tubes.Este estudo levantou dados sobre a biologia populacional de Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus\ud (Perciformes: Sciaenidae) em uma região costeira rasa, não-estuarina, do sudeste do Brasil. Amostras\ud mensais foram realizadas de outubro de 2003 a outubro de 2004, em duas áreas distintas e similares,\ud com variação batimétrica de 1-4 m. A espécie esteve, em geral, entre os peixes mais abundantes. No\ud entanto, sua densidade foi significativamente maior em um único mês e área, maio de 2004 na área\ud sul. O fato pode ser explicado pelo seu comportamento migratório e uma preferência por regiões\ud mais profundas. Esse comportamento pode levar a vieses em estudos de comunidade ictíica que usam\ud poucas amostras, ou apenas amostras sazonais. Indivíduos de C. gracilicirrhus de 4,0 a 10,2 cm de\ud comprimento total foram amostrados, apresentando uma moda principal de 7,5-9,0 cm e uma redução\ud significativa do tamanho de junho de 2004 em diante. As estimativas de parâmetros de crescimento\ud foram comprometidas pelas características peculiares da população no local. De forma semelhante, a\ud identificação das presas foi comprometida devido ao elevado nível de deterioração do conteúdo\ud estomacal. Foi possível concluir, entretanto, que os crustáceos foram nitidamente os itens mais\ud importantes ingeridos. Amphipoda mostrou ser o único subgrupo identificável, principalmente\ud devido à construção de tubos.This study was partly financed by the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) within the Biota/FAPESP – The Biodiversity Virtual Institute Program (www.biota.org.br). We also thank FAPESP for the “Programa Jovem Pesquisador em Centro Emergente” grant offered to M. R. D. (Proc. No. 05/60041-6 and 06/57575-1). The Project Aware Foundation and the Padi Foundation also financed part of this research project. Essential logistical support was provided by the Instituto Costa Brasilis – Desenvolvimento Sócio-Ambiental and the University Center of the Fundação de Ensino Octávio Bastos. We are grateful to A. P. Majer, G. M. Dias, and C. G. M. Delboni for their assistance in the fieldwork

Population biology and diet of Pomadasys corvinaeformis (Perciformes: Pomadasyidae) in Caraguatatuba Bay, Southeastern Brazil

Pomadasys corvinaeformis inhabits sandy and rocky bottoms in coastal waters, and is common in trawl samples taken from beaches. The species is very abundant on the Brazilian coast, and is of high economic and ecological importance. This study examined the spatio-temporal distribution, population biology and diet of P. corvinaeformis in Southeastern Brazil. Samples were taken by trawling monthly from August 2003 to October 2004, in two previously selected areas. The Northern area is more exposed to wave activity and is influenced by a river, functioning as a small estuary. In contrast, the Southern area is relatively sheltered from wave energy and influenced to a lesser degree by smaller rivers. The length of the specimens was measured, and the sex and gonadal stage were macroscopically identified. The abundance of this species was compared between areas and among months. The diet was analyzed seasonally by the frequency of occurrence, the percent volume, and the index of alimentary importance. P. corvinaeformis occurred in unequal proportions in the two study areas (86% in the Northern area and 14% in the Southern area) and was found most abundant in May 2004, followed by June 2004. The proportion of mature and in-maturation individuals increased gradually from autumn to summer. Nine major groups of food items were recorded in the diet of P. corvinaeformis, and crustaceans comprised five of the categories: unidentified crustacean fragments, zoea larvae, amphipods, copepods and shrimps. In both, fish stomach and intestine, crustacean fragments were the most frequent item. The second most frequent items were shrimp in the stomach, and amphipods in the intestine (mainly represented by their tubes). These results demonstrate that P. corvinaeformis can be considered a carnivore, with a preference on benthic organisms.FAPESP - 06/57575-

Caracterización y desarrollo del “saber luchar”: contenidos de un modelo integrado para la enseñanza de las artes marciales y de los deportes de combate

El objetivo de este trabajo es definir los principios y contenidos técnico‐tácticos que caracterizan el “saber luchar” en el ámbito de las artes marciales y deportes de combate entendidos en su sentido global. Desde el punto de vista metodológico, buscamos detectar los límites práxicos del conjunto de las diferentes disciplinas de las artes marciales y deportes de combate a través del análisis de puntos de convergencia que puedan conferirles consistencia como grupo de prácticas, y a partir de los cuales resulte posible desarrollar un proceso de enseñanza‐aprendizaje coherente. Los principios y contenidos que consideramos desde esta perspectiva integrada establecen las posibilidades de acción independientemente de los condicionantes técnicos institucionalizados por las diferentes modalidades de combate. Sobre la base de la “estructura técnico‐táctica del saber luchar”, se propone desarrollar el “saber luchar” enfatizando la importancia de incidir sobre la “intención táctica” de los aprendices. La distribución y categorización de las acciones luctatorias que presentamos busca ofrecer herramientas y criterios para ayudar en el proceso de iniciación a las artes marciales y deportes de combate

Variation in the body growth parameters of the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata from morphodynamically distinct sandy beaches

Os padrões de distribuição da macrofauna de praias arenosas têm sido amplamente investigados, mostrando que o entre-marés de praias dissipativas tende a concentrar maiores valores de riqueza e biomassa, bem como indivíduos de maior sucesso reprodutivo e tamanho, do que praias reflexivas. Para crustáceos do supralitoral essa tendência é em geral oposta. Para o guaruçá, Ocypode quadrata, frequentemente o grupo mais conspícuo desses ambientes, são raras as investigações de dinâmica populacional e respostas a diferentes morfologias praiais. Aqui, a variação de tamanho e o crescimento corpóreo foram avaliados ao longo de um ano através do método indireto em três praias com reduzido impacto antrópico no Litoral Norte de São Paulo. Estas foram escolhidas de froma a representarem três tipos básicos de morfodinâmica: dissipativa (Costa), intermediária (Félix) e reflectiva (Puruba). Em cada praia, cinco transectos de 2m de largura foram aleatorizados mensalmente, e avaliados da primeira à última ocorrência de tocas. O ajuste do modelo de crescimento de von Bertalanffy foi comparada entre as áreas. Para as três praias uma moda principal, devido à entrada de juvenis (mm), foi identificada em agosto/setembro. Esses indivíduos atingiram no verão seguinte um tamanho correspondente à moda principal do verão anterior, e dentro daquela que foi dominante no período como um todo. Especificamente, os parâmetros de crescimento foram: Costa (dissipativa) L∞ = 46,36 milímetros, K = 0,90 ano-1 e t0 = -0,19; Félix (intermediária) L∞ = 57,95 milímetros, K = 0,87 ano-1 e t0 = -0,12; Puruba (reflexiva) L∞ = 53,01 milímetros, K = 1,11 ano-1 e t0 = -0,07. Esses ajustes foram iguais estatisticamente entre Puruba e Felix, sendo ambos distintos da praia do Costa. Os índices de crescimento, phi-prima, variaram de 3,29 (Costa) a 3,49 (Puruba), enquanto na praia Félix esse valor foi 3,46, indicando homogeneidade deste parâmetro entre as praias, mas reforçando a maior semelhança a praia intermediária e reflexiva.Investigations of patterns of distribution of sandy beach macrofauna show that dissipative beaches tend to concentrate higher richness and biomass at the intertidal zone, as well as better fitness and larger sizes of a species, than reflective beaches. For supralittoral crustaceans, these trends are inverted, as predicted by the habitat safety hypothesis (HSH). For ghost-crabs, however, higher population abundance has been observed on dissipative beaches, but their life-history traits and the response to different beach morphologies were not well defined. Here, variation in crab size and growth was evaluated over a one year period using indirect measures from three low-impact beaches on the northern coast of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. These beaches represent the three basic types of morphodynamics: dissipative (Costa beach), intermediate (Felix beach) and reflective (Puruba beach). At each site, five 2m wide transects were randomly selected each month, and assessed across the crabs' entire area of occurrence. The fit of the von Bertalanffy body growth model was compared among sites. For all three beaches, a main mode due to the settlement of juveniles (mm) was identified in August and September. In the following summer, according to growth estimates, the settlement group would be approximately the same size as the main mode (mm) that was recorded during the previous summer. Specifically, the growth parameters estimated were: Costa (dissipative) L∞= 46.36mm, K= 0.90year-1 and t0= -0.19; Félix (intermediate) L∞= 57.95mm, K= 0.87year-1 and t0= -0.12; Puruba (reflective) L∞= 53.01mm, K= 1.11year-1 and t0= -0.07. The body growth adjustments were similar between Puruba and Felix, but distinct from Costa. Growth performance indexes ranged from 3.29 (Costa) to 3.46 (Félix) and 3.49 (Puruba), indicating both the homogeneity of this parameter among distinct beaches and close agreement between the intermediate and reflective beaches. This study suggests that variations in the development of ghost crabs concur with those observed for other supralittoral, crustaceans and the habitat safety hypothesis, with higher individual fitness for reflective beaches

Temporal variation in Sargassum Biomass, Hypnea epiphytism and associated fauna

Studies were carried out to investigate the temporal variation in Sargassum biomass, Hypnea epiphytism and associated fauna. There was a marked variation in the biomass of Sargassum and Hypnea among various sampling periods. Low values for Sargassum were recorded in August and November, while the lower value for Hypnea biomass was recorded in August. An inverse relationship was found between Sargassum biomass and the intensity of Hypnea epiphytism. The density of the total fauna associated to Sargassum showed a marked reduction in May. This variation was influenced by the variation patterns of the dominant faunistic groups (Gastropoda, Gammaridea, Isopoda and Caridea). Significant positive relationships were found between the biomass of Sargassum and Sargassum+Hypnea with the total density of all faunistic groups (per macroalgae biomass unit). However, the influence of Hypnea epiphytism on the phytal organisms was not evidenced.Sargassum cymosum é uma alga muito freqüente e abundante no sudeste do Brasil a qual apresenta uma fauna associada muito diversificada e freqüentemente epifitada pela alga vermelha Hypnea musciformis. Foram realizadas quatro amostragens na Praia do Lamberto, litoral norte do Estado de São Paulo, para observar a variação temporal da biomassa de Sargassum, do epifitismo de Hypnea e da fauna associada. Observou-se uma marcada variação da biomassa de Sargassum e Hypnea entre os períodos de amostragem. Os menores valores para Sargassum foram obtidos em agosto e novembro, enquanto o menor valor para Hypnea foi obtido em agosto. Relação inversa foi observada entre a biomassa de Sargassum e o epifitismo de Hypnea. A densidade da fauna total associada a Sargassum também mostrou variação significativa entre os períodos de amostragem, com marcada redução em maio. Este padrão foi influenciado pela variação dos grupos taxonômicos dominantes (Gastropoda, Gammaridea, Isopoda e Caridea). Observou-se uma forte relação positiva entre a biomassa of Sargassum e Sargassum+Hypnea com a abundância de todos os grupos taxonômicos. Contudo, não ficou evidenciada a influência do epifitismo de Hypnea sobre os organismos do fital.665671Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Population biology of the hermit crab Petrochirus diogenes (Linnaeus) (Crustacea, Decapoda) in Southern Brazil

The aim of this study was to provide information on the biology of a subtropical population ofthe hermit crab Petrochirus diogenes focusing size structure, sex ratio, reproductive period and morphometric relationships. Monthly samples were done between January and December 1995 at Armação of Itapocoroy, Penha, southern Brazil, using two over-trawls in depths from 6.0 to 10.0 m. A total of 126 individuais were collected. Overall sex ratio did not differ from 1:1. When the sex ratio was analyzed for each size class, it was skewed for females in the smallest size classes while males outnumbered females in the largest ones. The mean size (cephalothoracic length) of P. diogenes was 30.61 ± 12.52 mm and the size structure of this population was skewed to the right. Males were on average larger and heavier than both ovigerous and non-ovigerous females, which, in turn, showed similar sizes and weights. The ovigerous females represented 61% ofall females and occurred from January to April and in September and December. The relationship of cephalothoracic length and both cephalothoracic width and crab weight were isometric. Both crab size and weight showed a negative allometry with shell weight, indicating that larger/heavier crabs use proportionally lighter shells than small-sized ones.1043105

Subjective resource value and shell abandoning behavior in hermit crabs

Understanding the factors thatmotivate animals to hold or abandon a valuable resource is a central goal of behavioral ecology, the study of which will grow more important in the face of increasingly frequent extreme events. We compared the shell-abandoning behavior of the sympatric hermit crabs Clibanarius antillensis and Pagurus criniticornis in response to simulated burial and entrapment by rocks and other debris.While these hazards are relatively common in dynamic intertidal habitats, the frequency and severity of such disturbance are increasing due to human activity. While both species exhibited shell-abandoning behavior in response to experimental burial, it was far more prevalent for the soft-bottom dwelling species P. criniticornis (90%) when compared to the rocky bottom inhabitant C. antillensis (55%). Simulated entrapment experiments highlighted further differences in species response, with the decision to abandon domicile shells again far more common for P. criniticornis (80%) than it was for C. antillensis (10%). Given the tendency for P. criniticornis to abandon its shell, we subsequently focused on this species to test specific hypothesis about subjective resource value in hermit crabs. There was no difference in the tendency for this species to abandon optimal or sub-optimal (poorly-fitting) shells when faced with the immediate and potentially fatal risk of burial. This contrasted the response seen under conditions of entrapment, whereby individuals inhabiting sub-optimal shells abandoned them more rapidly and in greater numbers than those inhabiting optimal shells. Combining these two outcomes, we suggest that hermit crabs subjectively assess shell-value and respond according to the nature of the disturbance and its associated risks (i.e., high-value shells are abandoned in minutes under conditions of burial; but are held for hours under the less severe conditions of entrapment). In effect, the results show that extrinsic environmental cues can be just as important to decision making processes as those intrinsic cues that govern an animal's physiological condition. The contrasting behavior of the two hermit crabs to the movement of mud and other debris may lead to a higher survivorship of P. criniticornis than C. antillensis where activities such as dredging and harbor construction are intensifying along developing coastlines