Land Crab Research Articles

Genetic diversity of the blue land crab Cardisoma guanhumi (Latreille 1825) in the Alvarado Lagoon System in Veracruz, gulf coast of Mexico

In the Alvarado Lagoon System (ALS) in south-central Veracruz on Mexico's gulf coast, the blue land crab, Cardisoma guanhumi, a semi-terrestrial crustacean species, represents an important fishery resource, but one that is subject to overexploitation and habitat destruction. Identifying genetic diversity and the genetic unit are required to establish efficient conservation strategies. The present study's goal was to assess the genetic structure and degree of genetic diversity of C. guanhumi populations along the ALS. A fragment of the D-loop region of the mtDNA (750 bp) and a partial sequence of the COI gene (580 pb) was sequenced for 120 specimens collected at four sites in the ALS. Genetic diversity indices were estimated for each marker. The study sites' gene flow was estimated, as was the effective population size and the mutational rate for each locality. A haplotype network was built to estimate the gene genealogies of the populations. A Tajima's neutrality test, Fu tests, and mismatch analysis were performed to detect demographic expansion. Results show that this C. guanhumi population has high genetic diversity with a large gene flow among the localities studied and expanded during the recent evolutionary past. All haplotypes from both markers are novel for the species, according to the NCBI GenBank. The high genetic diversity and genetic connectivity among sites suggests that the size of blue crab populations in the ALS has not been drastically affected by past exploitation. Finally, management strategies are proposed to protect the species.

EFFICACY OF CHITOSAN EXTRACTED FROM CRAB EXOSKELETONS (CALLINECTES AMNICOLA AND CARDISOMA ARMATUM) IN COMBINATION WITH PSEUDOMONAS PUTIDA ON THE GROWTH AND GRAIN YIELD OF MAIZE ON FERRALLITIC SOIL IN SOUTH BENIN

The objective of the study was to evaluate chitosans produced from the exoskeletons of water (Callinectes amnicola) and land (Cardisoma armatum) crabs for use in agriculture in Benin. Then, the effects of these chitosans were combined with Pseudomonas putida in order to see their synergistic effects on the growth and yield of maize seeds of the variety EVDT 97 STR C1 for 80 days. The experimental design was a block of 13 treatments with three (03) replicates. After 60 DAS in the field, application of the combination C. amicola + P. putida + 50% NPK and C. armatum + P. putida + 50% NPK showed the highest average heights. Plants treated with the combination of C. armatum + P. putida + 50% NPK and C. amnicola + 50% NPK gave the best corn grain yields with increases of 51.68% and 45.57% respectively. This study confirms that sources of chitosan from shellfish exoskeletons are available in Benin and shows the potential to use chitosan alone or in combination with Rhizobacteria as bio fertilizers to improve productivity and increase maize yield in Benin while reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.

Growth Characteristics of Edible Land Crab <i>Cardisomaarmatum</i> (Brachyura: Gecarcinidae) from KribiMangroves, Cameroon

The land crab <i>Cardisoma armatum</i> is traditionally overexploited for consumption issue in Cameroonian mangroves. However, the exploitation of this natural resource ignores sustainable management. Hence, the study aims to assess the availability and growth patterns of <i>C. armatum</i> in Kribi mangroves throughout some of their morphological parameters. Several individuals were captured inside traps baited once each two months from March 2019 to March 2020. Then, wellbeing, growth patterns and size at the first sexual maturity were assessed based on sex, seasons or maturity stages. Despite the fact that the condition factor (K) value overall remained below 1, females and matures individuals were in a better wellbeing compared to males and immature. In the CW-BW relationships, the allometry coefficients (b) were below 3 for both sexes, suggesting a negative allometry growth patterns which means that crabs are lighter than their body weights. In the CW-CL and CW-BH relationships, males showed a positive allometry (b>1) while females a negative allometry (b<1). Fifty percent maturity of females (CW₅₀=58.87±0.14 mm) was significantly lower than that of males (CW₅₀=62.67±0.08 mm). Immature and mature crabs were recorded throughout the sampling period indicating that this species breeds throughout the year with a peak between September and November.

MORPHOMETRY OF BLUE LAND CRAB (CARDISOMA GUANHUMI) BURROWS: ICHNOLOGICAL CONTEXT AND PALEOENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

ABSTRACT A large brachyuran, the blue land crab (Cardisoma guanhumiLatreille, 1825) is a keystone species and a prolific burrower in a variety of low-latitude supratidal habitats; however, few studies have addressed its ichnological aspects. Here we present a detailed morphological assessment of C. guanhumi burrows and make comparisons to Macanopsis plataniformis, a trace fossil thought to be constructed by a similar brachyuran. Using nine burrow casts from a mangrove wetland on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, 29 dimensionless morphometric parameters were compared. Results of Bray-Curtis tests show high overall similarity index (0.85) between casts, with complexity, tortuosity, and opening inclination angle having moderate to high similarity (&amp;gt; 0.8). End chamber angle of the blue land crab has highest similarity both within the modern morphometric parameter dataset (&amp;gt; 0.9) and to that of M. plataniformis (0.88). The large terminal chamber is particularly important because of its high preservation potential, as a repository for organic remains, and as a reliable water table (∼ sea-level) indicator. Cluster analysis suggests size-independent Macanopsis-resembling burrow morphology among different extant taxa can be discriminated via quantitative neoichnological methods. Our findings demonstrate how a quantitative assessment of modern burrows and their likely counterparts from the sedimentary record can help constrain tracemaker identity and aid paleoenvironmental reconstruction of low-energy microtidal settings.

Characterization of Shed genes encoding ecdysone 20-monooxygenase (CYP314A1) in the Y-organ of the blackback land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis

Molting in decapod crustaceans is controlled by ecdysteroid hormones synthesized and secreted by the molting gland, or Y-organ (YO). Halloween genes encode cytochrome P450 enzymes in the ecdysteroid synthetic pathway. The current paradigm is that YOs secrete an inactive precursor (e.g., ecdysone or E), which is hydroxylated at the #20 carbon to form an active hormone (20-hydroxyecdysone or 20E) by a mitochonrial 20-monooxygenase (CYP314A1) in peripheral tissues. 20-Monooxygenase is encoded by Shed in decapods and Shade in insects. We used eastern spiny lobster Shed sequences to extract six orthologs in the G. lateralis YO transcriptome. Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences from six decapod species organized the Sheds into seven classes (Sheds 1–7), resulting in the assignment of the G. lateralis Sheds to Gl-Shed1, 2, 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B. The mRNA levels of the six Gl-Sheds in the YO of intermolt animals were comparable to those in nine other tissues that included hepatopancreas and muscle. qPCR was used to compare the effects of molt induction by multiple leg autotomy (MLA) and eyestalk ablation (ESA) on Gl-Shed mRNA levels in the YO. Molt stage had little effect on Gl-Shed1 and Gl-Shed5B expression in the YO of MLA animals. Gl-Shed5A was expressed at the highest mRNA levels in the YO and was significantly increased during early and mid premolt stages. By contrast, ESA ± SB431542 had no effect on Gl-Shed expression at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days post-ESA. SB431542, which inhibits Transforming Growth Factor-β/activin signaling and blocks YO commitment, decreased Gl-Shed2 and Gl-Shed4A mRNA levels at 14 days post-ESA. A targeted metabolomic analysis showed that YOs cultured in vitro secreted E and 20E to the medium. These data suggest that the YO expresses 20-monooygenases that can convert E to 20E, which may contribute to the increase in active hormone in the hemolymph during premolt.

To the Land and Beyond: Crab Microbiomes as a Paradigm for the Evolution of Terrestrialization.

The transition to terrestrial environments by formerly aquatic species has occurred repeatedly in many animal phyla and lead to the vast diversity of extant terrestrial species. The differences between aquatic and terrestrial habitats are enormous and involved remarkable morphological and physiological changes. Convergent evolution of various traits is evident among phylogenetically distant taxa, but almost no information is available about the role of symbiotic microbiota in such transition. Here, we suggest that intertidal and terrestrial brachyuran crabs are a perfect model to study the evolutionary pathways and the ecological role of animal-microbiome symbioses, since their transition to land is happening right now, through a number of independent lineages. The microorganisms colonizing the gut of intertidal and terrestrial crabs are expected to play a major role to conquer the land, by reducing water losses and permitting the utilization of novel food sources. Indeed, it has been shown that the microbiomes hosted in the digestive system of terrestrial isopods has been critical to digest plant items, but nothing is known about the microbiomes present in the gut of truly terrestrial crabs. Other important physiological regulations that could be facilitated by microbiomes are nitrogen excretion and osmoregulation in the new environment. We also advocate for advances in comparative and functional genomics to uncover physiological aspects of these ongoing evolutionary processes. We think that the multidisciplinary study of microorganisms associated with terrestrial crabs will shed a completely new light on the biological and physiological processes involved in the sea-land transition.

Disappearance Rates of a Placebo Bait for the Small Indian Mongoose Across Different Habitats on St. Kitts

The small Indian mongoose (Urva aurpunctata) is a non-indigenous wildlife reservoir for rabies virus on several Caribbean islands. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) has been suggested to prevent the spread of rabies in mongooses, but there are limited data on ORV bait survival in maritime/tropical climates. We compared disappearance rates of an egg-flavored bait block vs. a control (canned tuna) and for bait blocks, we assessed if season, habitat, and day/night would influence the disappearance rate. On the island of St. Kitts, West Indies, we baited 45 stations (n=35 bait blocks, n=10 controls) at dawn and checked them twice daily for 4 consecutive days. This procedure was repeated after a two-day period, for each combination of season (dry and wet) and habitat type (mixed grassland, littoral and dry forest). We used the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate bait survival at 12 and 36 hours after baiting. Across all sites, control baits were removed faster than bait blocks, but by 36 hours, over 90% of all baits had disappeared. For bait blocks only, the disappearance rate was higher during the dry season and in the dry forest habitat compared to the other habitats. There was no difference between diurnal and nocturnal disappearance rates. While the exact species that consumed the baits remain uncertain, we found that mongooses readily remove bait blocks, along with non-native mammals (e.g., dogs and cats) and land crabs in littoral habitats. We suggest that the bait blocks used in this study may be suitable for use as an external bait matrix for ORV baits.

Crecimiento del Cangrejo de Tierra Cardisoma guanhumi en Puerto Rico

The land crabs’ integument release process during molting represents a moment of vulnerability due to the desiccation risk and the lack of water availability for the molting. The aim of this study is to ascertain Cardisoma guanhumi growth increase. A marking-recapture study was conducted to estimate crab growth. The study was carried out in six Puerto Rico locations. It was found that growth increment is 8.7%, which is larger than previously reported; this increment varies among study sites. Forests with higher vegetation coverage and lower edge density favor a larger growth increment. Crab´s habitat conservation is essential for the species´ survival.

Burrow morphology of the land crab Gecarcinus lateralis and the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata on San Salvador Island, The Bahamas: comparisons and palaeoenvironmental implications

Burrow morphologies of the land crab Gecarcinus lateralis and the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata were investigated on East Beach, San Salvador Island, The Bahamas, with the goals of critical comparison of their morphologies and of clarifying and advancing their palaeoenvironmental usefulness. In comparing land crab burrows to those of the ghost crab, the former are simpler but more variable in overall shape. G. lateralis burrows have a more compressed form in the transverse section of the burrow shaft and possess lower (more horizontal) shaft inclination than those of O. quadrata. In the late Holocene backshore and dune deposits on San Salvador, two types of fossil burrows were observed. On the basis of the morphologic differences documented herein between modern burrows of land and ghost crab species, one fossil burrow form can be interpreted as having been produced by G. lateralis and the other (trace fossil Psilonichnus upsilon) produced by O. quadrata. Because the modern burrows of these crabs are different not only in shape but also in their environmental preference, the occurrence of trace fossils comparable to burrows of the land crab and ghost crab (P. upsilon) could be used as indicators of vegetated coastal dunes (land crab burrows) and beach backshore (near sea level; ghost crab burrows) palaeoenvironments

Observing the Impact of Confinement on the Rearing of Land Crabs

The study observed the impact of confinement on the rearing of land crabs in an attempt to produce crabs that can be consumed without having to worry about their unwholesomeness, traceability and also the possibility of producing crabs all year round.Two species of the land crabs were observed for five months: 35 Rainbow land crabs, obtained from Ada, a suburb of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana and 20 Blue land crabs obtained from Sokode, a suburb of the Volta Region of Ghana. the study investigated the 55 land crabs by observing their coexistence, feeding and reproduction in confinement. Dealers in land crabs and other resource persons who had some experience with land crabs where interviewed. At the beginning of the study, the average weight of a male rainbow land crab was 3.3 pounds and that of a female was 3.0 pounds. However, at the end of the study the average weight recorded for the male Rainbow land crab was 5.7poundsand that of the female was 5.4pounds. The number of rainbow land crabs that died during the cause of the study was 7 and 12 escaped resulting in 16 of them remaining by the end of the study. Six of the crabs lost their appendages, one female moulted, 4 female crabs produced eggs and spawned. The only female Blue land crab that survived produced eggs in confinement but later died after three weeks from the commencement of the study. Results of the study showed that the Rainbow land crabs are hardier as compared to the Blue land crabs and thus, the best specie that can be reared in confinement. The Rainbow land crabs can be reared in confinement for a minimum period of five months if the confined area is darkened and hideout accessories provided. The crabs can be fed on a range of diets, from fish, vegetables to leftovers from the kitchen. However, the crabs seem to prefer sugar cane, palm fronds and fruits. The female Rainbow land crabs are capable of spawning in confinement when provided with the right conditions and environment.

Meat Quality of Land Crab, &lt;i&gt;Cardiosoma armatum&lt;/i&gt; (Herklots, 1851) Fattened with Trash Fish and Formulated Diet

Meat quality in terms of its nutritional value, is a major factor when considering dietary items. This study highlighted the proximate and mineral compositions in the meat of Land Crab, Cardiosoma armatum (Herklots, 1851) fed with Trash Fish (Natural feed) and formulated diet for three (3) months. The meat proximate composition of both crabs fed the two different diets was similar, and there was no significant difference in the crude protein, fat and fiber contents of the meat (p &gt; 0.05). The diets had no significant effects on magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus contents of the meat. Crabs fed formulated diet had significantly higher calcium content of 20428.52±0.10 mg/100 g, compared with the crabs fed with Trash Fish of 18541.83±0.10 mg/100 g (p &lt; 0.05). The pattern of mineral contents in both crabs was calcium &gt; phosphorus &gt; magnesium &gt; sodium &gt; potassium. This study suggested no negative effects of formulated diet on the meat quality. Therefore, formulated diet could be used for fattening of Land Crabs.

Effect of Cardisoma guanhumi (Land Crab) Extract on Haematology and Lungs Histology in Swiss Mice Infected with Bordetella pertussis

Pertussis is an acute human respiratory tract disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, a known international pathogen that affects infants, children and adults. This study is aimed at investigating the changes in haematological parameters and histopathological changes of the lungs connected with Bordetella pertussis infection in swiss mice and to evaluate the potential of Cardisoma guanhumi extract to reverse these adverse changes about erythromycin treatment. The animals were divided into five groups: Group 1 was normal to control, group 2 was infected with Bordetella pertussis without treatment (negative control), group 3 and 4 were Bordetella pertussis infected and treated with 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg of the extract respectively and group 5 were infected and treated with 4000 mg/70 kg of erythromycin in divided doses. The animals were inoculated with a single infectious dose of Bordetella pertussis bacteria and were consequently treated with the graded doses of the extract and erythromycin for eighteen days after the animals were confirmed infected. The mice were humanely sacrificed using diethyl ether anaesthesia and blood samples were taken for liver function investigation and liver tissue harvested and processed for histological examination. The result showed that Cardisoma guanhumi extract reversed the changes in the haematological parameters and pathological changes in the lungs of mice infected with Bordetella pertussis in a dose and time-dependent manner which suggests prophylactic and curative potentials of Cardisoma guanhumi extract against B. pertussis.

Reproductive biology of the land crab Epigrapsus politus Heller, 1862 (Brachyura: Gecarcinidae) on Iriomote-jima, Japan

Abstract The breeding cycle of the land crab Epigrapsus politusHeller, 1862 (Gecarcinidae) was studied through a mark-recapture experiment on subtropical Iriomote-jima, Japan between September and November 2017. The abundance of E. politus at the cobble shore increased during the breeding season, and then decreased. Crab density was estimated to be 423.5 over 20 m2. The population showed a bimodal and a monomodal body-length frequency for males and females, respectively. Lifespan was estimated to be between one and two or three years. Ovigerous (egg bearing) females were detected from early September to late November, with the highest abundance occurring between late September and early November. The proportion of embryonic development (non-eyed and eyed eggs) of ovigerous females and the presence or absence of embryos and embryonic development of recaptured females showed that larvae were released on the days after the full moon. In comparison, egg extrusion occurred during the period of the previous full moon, i.e., eggs were incubated for four weeks. Females produced one brood within a single breeding season. The breeding ecology of E. politus was characterized as being short and occurring in a cooler season than that of other gecarcinids inhabiting the subtropical islands of the northwest Pacific.

Effect of Cardisoma guanhumi (land crab) extract on liver function and liver histology of Swiss mice infected with Bordetella pertussis

Pertussis also known as whooping cough is an acute human respiratory tract disease caused by Bordetella pertussis that is known to be associated with liver pathology. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Bordetella pertussis infection on the liver function and histology of Swiss mice and to evaluate the mitigating effects of Cardisoma guanhumi extract on these changes in comparison to erythromycin treatment. The animals were divided into five groups: group 1 was normal control; group 2 was infected with Bordetella pertussis without treatment (negative control); groups 3 and 4 were Bordetella pertussis infected and treated with 300mg/kg and 600mg/kg of Cardisoma guanhumi extract, respectively; and group 5 was infected and treated with 4000mg/70kg of erythromycin in divided doses. The animals were inoculated with a single infective dose of Bordetella pertussis and were consequently treated with the graded doses of the extract and erythromycin for a period of eighteen days, after the animals were confirmed infected. The mice were humanely sacrificed using diethyl ether anesthesia and blood samples taken for evaluation of liver function and liver tissue harvested and processed for histological examination. The results showed that Cardisoma guanhumi extract reversed the pathological changes in the liver of mice infected with Bordetella pertussis in a dose- and time-dependent manner, suggesting prophylactic and curative potentials of Cardisoma guanhumi extract against B. pertussis.

Risks posed by rat reproduction and diet to eradications on tropical islands

Removing invasive rodents from islands has many ecological and social benefits. However, eradications fail more frequently on tropical than on temperate islands, and causes for these failures are not yet well understood. We addressed two major plausible reasons for eradication failure, testing whether actively reproducing females and pre-weaned pups may not consume bait during an experimental eradication of Rattus exulans on a tropical island (22 ha). We tested four hypotheses, namely that: (1) lactating female rats take longer than non-lactating conspecifics to consume rodent bait, (2) pre-weaned rats orphaned following bait application survive when their mother dies, (3) surviving pre-weaned rats are not exposed to rodent bait and (4) lactating females have different natural diets than non-lactating females. Our experimental eradication was successful, despite conditions that are typically associated with eradication failures: rat density was high (95% CI 65–153 rats/ha), rats were breeding and juveniles of all age-classes were present, land crabs were abundant, bait was only widely available for two nights after bait application (i.e. > 90% of bait disappeared within 36 h; bait was undetectable after 60 h), and alternative foods (e.g. coconut) were abundantly available. We found no evidence to support hypotheses that rat breeding and diet specialisation limit bait uptake because all rats consumed bait. Rat eradication was achieved with a relatively low bait application rate (32 kg/ha; 16 kg/ha per application) and a short (7 day) interval between the two bait applications. We recommend further experimental eradications targeting R. exulans and other invasive Rattus and Mus species on larger islands, but conclude that with comprehensive bait coverage eradications on tropical islands can be successful despite abundant natural food and a high density of reproductively active rats.

Ethnographic evidence for the presence of the coconut crab Birgus latro (Linnaeus, 1767) (Anomura, Coenobitidae) on Flores Island, Indonesia

Abstract Although occurring elsewhere in Indonesia, the coconut crab — the only member of the genus Birgus — has yet to be documented on the island of Flores or adjacent islands in the Lesser Sundas. In the Lio region of Flores, however, people in the district of Mego describe a very large entirely terrestrial crab occasionally encountered between 2 and 7 km from Flores’ south coast and sometimes even further inland. Ethnographic evidence is presented showing how this crab, locally called ‘kepi’, generally corresponds to the coconut crab in regard to morphology, habitat, and behaviour. Because local people prohibit the killing and consumption of kepi, other factors possibly accounting for the reputed rarity of large land crabs possibly corresponding to Birgus are also discussed, and the case is further used to comment on the value of local knowledge for international zoology.

Tracking the world's largest land crab: coconut crabs and habitat Habitat associations on Palmyra Atoll

Tracking the world's largest land crab: coconut crabs and habitat Habitat associations on Palmyra Atoll

Long-term monitoring of crab Cardisoma guanhumi (Decapoda: Gecarcinidae) captures in Jobos Bay Estuary, Puerto Rico

Abstract: The densities of the land crab Cardisoma guanhumi has been dropping for the past decades, as a result numerous management strategies, laws and regulations throughout the tropics have been developed to reduce population declines. The reasons for declines include: overfishing, habitat degradation and loss, and continued capture in Natural Protected Areas (NPA). In Puerto Rico, an admistrative order of 1999, regulates a closed season, prohibits the captures of crabs through the year from NPA and has a legal size for capture (64 mm). The goal of this research was to monitor spatial-temporal dynamics of captures for C. guanhumi after the implementation of the admistrative order. Crabs captured from thirty-one hunters in six communities surrounding the Jobos Bay Estuary (JBE) in south east Puerto Rico was studied over a period of 15 years, 2004 through 2018. The size (carapace width and length), sex and color were documented for 1531 crabs. There was significant difference in crab size through time and space. The smallest crabs with captured in the west of JBE and in the year 2004, while the largest crabs were captured in the west and in 2013. As expected smaller hunting areas had smaller crabs due to higher hunting pressure. Further, there was significant difference in crab color by size, smaller crabs were orange, intermediate size was brown and larger crabs were blue. Color of crab can therefore be used to determine legal limit. From 2009 to 2018 three percent of hunters captured crabs smaller than the legal-size limit. Although there was no significant relationship between climate (temperature, rainfall) and crab size, smaller crabs were captured in 2013-2016 during years of lower rainfall. Also, crab size increase from 2004 until 2013 coincided with mangrove recovery in the JBE. The laws and management strategies in Puerto Rico for the protection of crabs by size and prohibition in NPA, is not enough. Therefore, the impact of climate variability, sea level rise and anthropogenic pressures on crab habitat, therefore, warrants further investigation.

Can Short-Term Citizen Science Training Increase Knowledge, Improve Attitudes, and Change Behavior to Protect Land Crabs?

Citizen science projects are considered popular and efficient approaches to scientific research and conservation of sustainability. In addition, much research suggests that citizen science can improve participants’ environmental and scientific literacy when they participate in surveys over a period of time. However, considerable research indicates that people in short-term training programs do not change their environmental literacy significantly. Nevertheless, studies have stated that these results might result from inappropriate evaluation methods. In this study, we used personal meaning mapping (PMM) to evaluate participants’ knowledge, attitude, and behavior intention in relation to land crab protection. This method merges quantitative and qualitative dimensions, used in scientific knowledge research, which we extend to evaluate attitude and behavior intention. As a result, even with short-term training, we observe that participants’ knowledge, attitude, and behavior intention significantly improves. Although some individuals exhibit no change in certain respects, we use PMM to understand the causes in detail. Taiwan is an island, famous for its fertile landscapes and biodiversity, and we anticipate finding efficient means to improve public environmental literacy. According to our research, public engagement in citizen science projects is an excellent approach to environmental education and conservation for sustainability.

Parámetros de crecimiento de Cardisoma guanhumi en el departamento del Magdalena, Colombia

In Colombia, the blue land crab Cardisoma guanhumi faces two main threats: extraction and habitat loss. This project aims to show an approximation of the growth parameters of C. guanhumi in protected areas within the Magdalena department. Individuals were captured monthly from May to October 2016 in five localities in the Tayrona National Natural Park (PNNT) and the Salamanca Island Road Park (VIPIS). A total of 816 crabs were collected, each of which was measured, weighed, sexed and released. Both sexes showed a negative allometric length-to-weight ratio. Using the FiSAT II program's ELEFAN I routine, the size frequencies obtained were analyzed in order to determine the growth parameters for 1) the department, considering gender, and 2) the PNNT, where the data from VIPIS wasexcluded. The asymptotic carapace width was higher for males (109.16 mm) than for females (96.74 mm), but the growth coefficient (K) was higher for females (0.19 year-1) than for males (0.15 year-1). Growth performance indexes were similar: 3.252 for males and 3.250 for females. The FISAT II length converted catch curve routine was used to calculate the total (Z), natural (M), and fishing (F) mortalityrates, as 0.41, 0.36, and 0.05 year-1 respectively. The grow coefficient K was higher for the PNNT (0.29 year-1) than for the Magdalena department (0.15 year-1), thus, longevity was lower for the PNNT (tmax= 10.42 years) compared to the department (tmax= 20.06 years). Ingeneral terms, the C. guanhumi population in the study area is longevous, slow growing, with low extraction morality. The data obtained in this work are important in the management of this species, as its slow growth makes it vulnerable to overfishing.