The growth of Aegla jarai was examined aiming to contribute with information about the bioecological profile of the species. The sampling was carried out at the Espíngarda River system situated at the Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí, Santa Catarina State, Brazil from July 2001 to September 2002. The sex and the length of cephalothorax (mm) were recorded and the specimens were brought back to the stream. The von Bertalanffy's model was used to estimate growth based on the modal progression of the size, which resulted in the growth curves described by Lt = 25.11 [1- e - 0.0082 (t + 29.02)] (for the males) and Lt = 23.33 [1- e - 0.0048 (t + 46.45)] (for the females). The curves based on the means were also obtained which were Lt = 23.56 [1- e - 0.0101 (t + 19] (for the males) and Lt = 22.69 [1- e - 0.0052 (t + 40.95)] (for the females). The recruitment period extended throughout spring (October, November and December) and early summer (January). In the population of A. jarai the males attained larger sizes and a higher growth rate than females. The estimated longevity was two years for both sexes.
Freshwater crustacean; longevity; von Bertalanffy
