Abstract
Abstract We estimated the growth parameters of the spider crab, Libinia ferreirae (age, asymptotic size and growth rate) using the von Bertalanffy growth equation model. We obtained nine cohorts for female carapace asymptotic width (CW∞) = 64.32 mm, growth coefficient (day-1) (k) = 0.0027 e t0= 0.77 days) and seven for males (CW∞ = 81.93 mm, k= 0.0021 e t0= 0.49 days). The longevity for males was higher than that for females, estimated 2,156 days (5.91 years) and 1,706 days (4.68 years), respectively. The growth curves for males and females differed (F = 34.67 e p < 0.001). Males reached gonadal maturity before morphometric maturity and occurred at 8.8 and 16.6 months of life, respectively. Females reach gonad and morphometric maturity synchronously and this was estimated to occur at about 11.42 months of life. These crabs invest a great amount of energy in growth during a brief period of their development until reaching the terminal moult. This growth strategy would bring less wear to the organism and consequently a greater longevity.
Highlights
Due to their hard exoskeleton, crustacean growth is a discontinuous process occurring incrementally
In the superfamily Majoidea, all individuals undergo several moults before the pre-puberty moult for juvenile growth and terminal for the ultimate moult, preceding the onset of the adult stage
The adult stage is reached after the terminal moult, which marks both gonadal maturity and morphological maturity, i.e., individuals of both sexes present functional reproductive cells and well-defined secondary sexual morphological characters (Hartnoll, 1963; 1982)
Summary
Due to their hard exoskeleton, crustacean growth is a discontinuous process occurring incrementally. Males of some Majoidea species can reach gonadal maturity during pre-pubertal moulting (the second to last moult before terminal moulting), these crabs have gonad maturity but no morphometric maturity This may allow opportunistic copulation before going through the last moult (terminal moult and end of growth), where individuals have maturity (gonadal and morphometric), and are able to transfer sperm and guard females (Laufer and Ahl, 1995; Gonçalves et al, 2017a). In this way, individuals who undergo early gonadal maturity have an altered reproductive role within the species population dynamics. The spider crab Libinia ferreirae Brito Capello, 1871 is included in this superfamily, the females of these species reach gonadal and morphometric maturity simultaneously; unlike males, who reach gonadal maturity before morphometric maturity (Gonçalves et al, 2017a)
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