Abstract
Rocky outcrops in the intertidal zones of estuaries often contain a highly diverse microbenthic community which includes the hermit crab, Clibanarius symmetricus, an abundant species on the equatorial Amazon coast. However, the ecology of this anomuran is poorly understood. Given this, the present study investigated the spatiotemporal distribution and structure of the C. symmetricus populations that inhabit the rocky outcrops of the Marapanim estuary in northern Brazil. Samples were collected monthly over a yearly cycle covering both the dry and rainy seasons in the upper and lower midlittoral zones during low tide. The distribution and abundance of C. symmetricus were affected directly by environmental factors such as temperature, seasonality, the intertidal zone, and salinity. The population presented sexual dimorphism, with males being larger than females, a male-biased sex ratio (1.5:1), a nonnormal and unimodal distribution, continuous reproduction, and sexual maturation at a cephalothoracic shield length of 3.6 mm. Despite the unique characteristics of the Amazon coast and the study estuary, the spatiotemporal distribution and structure of the C. symmetricus population were similar to those recorded at higher latitudes.
Highlights
The hermit crabs of the genus Clibanarius Dana, 1852 are common benthic anomurans that inhabit the intertidal zone in tropical and subtropical regions (Melo, 1999; Mantelatto et al, 2010), where they play an important role in the marine food chain and nutrient cycling (NegreirosFransozo et al, 1997; Fransozo and Mantelatto, 1998)
Spatiotemporal distribution of C. symmetricus The distribution of C. symmetricus in the Marapanim estuary is influenced directly by environmental factors such as temperature, which may influence a number of aspects of the biology of the species, such as reproduction and growth patterns, and sexual maturation
The variation in crab density found between seasons and in the different sectors and zones of the Marapanim estuary during different periods reflects the spatiotemporal variation in environmental factors
Summary
The hermit crabs of the genus Clibanarius Dana, 1852 are common benthic anomurans that inhabit the intertidal zone in tropical and subtropical regions (Melo, 1999; Mantelatto et al, 2010), where they play an important role in the marine food chain and nutrient cycling (NegreirosFransozo et al, 1997; Fransozo and Mantelatto, 1998). These crabs are important indicators of environmental change in the intertidal zone (Dunbar et al, 2003). In the specific case of C. symmetricus, population studies have been restricted mainly to the subtropical coast of southern Brazil (e.g., Sampaio et al, 2009; Sant’Anna et al., 2009; Mantelatto et al, 2010), and no ecological data are available from the equatorial region
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