Abstract
Trawling is known as one of less selective fishing gears and presents high index of accidental captures. The objective of this paper is to characterize the population structure, fecundity and relative growth of Leurocyclus tuberculosus often caught as bycatch in pink shrimp trawl. Sampling occurred between October 2008 and September 2009 in the coast of Rio de Janeiro State, using commercial shrimp trawl. The sample totalized 269 crabs, 168 males and 101 females (42 ovigerous). The sex ratio was 1:1.66 (M:F) and differed statistically from the expected (X2=16.68; p > 0.05). The carapace width (CW) ranged from 12.81 to 71.67 mm (mean ± SD: 48.77 ± 13.75 mm) and from 15.33 to 55.44 mm (36.19 ± 8.66 mm) in males and females, respectively. The size at onset of sexual maturity was estimated at 30 mm (females) and 55 mm (males). The individual fecundity ranged from 3,450 to 23,680 eggs/brood (10,327.3 ± 4,827.7). The analysis of relative growth did not differ from the Brachyura predictions. The histogram analysis showed that shrimp trawl affects the L. tuberculosus population equally, capturing from very young individuals to adults.
Highlights
Due to its high economic value, shrimps are one of the most targeted fishery resources in Brazil and have been suffering with overfishing (Pauly et al, 2002)
In Brazil, trawl fishery is under Ministry of Environment management, which regulates this fishing technique by laws that take into account the minimum allowed size and the reproduction period of each shrimp species (SUDEPE, 1983; 1984; MMA, 2001)
Male crabs attained the largest carapace width (CW) classes (Fig. 1). They were most frequent in the class of 58-60 mm while females were most frequent in the 38-40 mm CW class
Summary
Due to its high economic value, shrimps are one of the most targeted fishery resources in Brazil and have been suffering with overfishing (Pauly et al, 2002). Milne Edwards & Lucas, 1843), an endemic American species is often caught as bycatch by shrimp trawl fishing (Roux and Piñero, 2006; Keunecke et al, 2007). It occurs in coastal Southern and Southeastern Brazil, from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul State, Uruguay and Argentina, including Patagonia. It inhabits the continental shelf, from 10 to 170 meters depth, where it generally lives in mud, sand and shell bottom (Melo, 1996). The knowledge of this species is almost restricted to its biogeography (Boschi, 2000; Braga et al, 2005) and studies concerning its ecology and population biology are scarce in the literature
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