The present work studied the effect of salinity on the survival and duration of larval development of the mangrove crab, Ucides cordatus (from the Caeté River estuary, North of Brazil) until the megalopal phase in seven salinity treatments (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 e 30). Salinity significantly affected the survival of the zoea larvae, however it did not affect the duration of the larval development (20.77 ± 1.56 days). In salinity 0, 5 and 10 all zoea larvae died. Only from off salinity 15, complete development until the megalopal phase occurred. The survival rate was highest in salinity 30 (72%) and lowest in 15 (16%). The reduced survival rate of the U. cordatus zoea larvae, in low salinities, indicates the necessity of larval dispersion from the estuary to coastal waters, where salinity conditions for larval development are more favorable. Otherwise, if there was no dispersion, the reduced salinity of estuarine waters in the rainy season would cause a high mortality thereby affecting the recruitment, maintenance and growth of the U. cordatus population in the mangroves.
Ucides cordatus; Salinity; Survival; Larval dispersion; Zoea
