Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Alien species have been transported and traded by humans for many centuries. However, with the era of globalization, biological invasions have reached notable magnitudes. Currently, introduction of alien species is one of the major threats to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The North American crayfish Procambarus clarkii is one of the most widely introduced freshwater species in the world, especially due to its high economic importance. It is responsible for great modifications in invaded environments causing irreparable ecological and economic damages. Its impressive ability to successfully colonize a wide range of environments is a consequence of its behavioural and biological characteristics that can adapt to features of the invaded location, conferring to this species a notable ecological plasticity. This review summarizes the available information regarding P. clarkii's biology and invasive dynamics around the world in order to contribute to the understanding of the threats posed by its establishment, as well as to support management and impact mitigation efforts.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Recent worldwide taxonomical research on Cladocera is discovering a number of new species but hardly in South America. The Río de La Plata is the second largest basin in the continent and the knowledge on cladocerans of the different sub-basins is uneven. The recent increase in the number of cladocerans species worldwide inspired this survey in the Río de La Plata basin. It was expected that new species, or at least a significant number of new records, could be found which would contribute to the richness of the least studied sub-basins. Twenty three sampling locations were selected and the Cladocera were analyzed in detail to the species level. The family Chydoridae was targeted due to its high species richness. Fifty species of Chydoridae were recorded, two of them probably new for science and a third one whose taxonomical status could not be further addressed, due to insufficient material for analysis. All sub-basins had at least one specimen of one or both new species. The contribution of new species was more homogeneous among sub-basins when compared to the total contribution of new registers. It was concluded that the improvement of the taxonomical resolution and extensive samplings are fundamental in assessing the real cladoceran richness in the basin and that knowledge based on just a few research centers is not enough to promote secure taxonomical and biogeographical considerations yet.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Two new species of family Tanaopsidae, genus Tanaopsis, from Admiralty Bay (Antarctica) are herein described. Tanaopsis brevicorpus sp. nov. displays antennule article 1 about 1.5 times as long as wide, carapace as long as first three pereonites, both rami of uropod biarticulate with fusion line, and pleotelson short, more than twice longer than wide. Tanaopsis bamberi sp. nov. resembles other Antarctic species T. kerguelenensis in its habitus, antennule long and uropod uniarticulate. However, the new species can be distinguished from it by a combination of characters that includes maxilliped basis with long seta arising from tubercles; inner margin of cheliped fixed finger with three smooth sub-terminal spines; uropod subequal to pleotelson in length, and uropodal endopod about twice as long as exopod.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The objective of this study is to report new occurrences of five species of snapping shrimps of the genus Alpheus Fabricius, 1798 in Brazil and, thus, contribute to the knowledge of their zoogeography. The southern limit of distribution of A. formosus Gibbes, 1850 and A. peasei (Armstrong, 1940) is extended from Paraná to Santa Catarina and from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro, respectively. The northern distribution limit of A. pouang Christoffersen, 1979 and A. verrilli (Schmitt, 1924) is substantially extended from São Paulo to Pará and from Bahia to Pará, respectively. Finally, A. rudolphi Almeida & Anker, 2011, previously known from Ceará and Alagoas, is recorded for the first time in Pernambuco, filling a gap in its known distribution.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT This contribution reviews the morphology and the main diagnostic characters of the peppermint shrimp Lysmata ankeri. Individuals were sampled by scuba divers from August 2008 to June 2013 on the subtidal rocky bottom at Couves Island, on the coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. In the laboratory, the individuals were analyzed morphologically, with emphasis on the characters used in the diagnosis of the species; measured as carapace length (CL); and photographed. Seventeen individuals of L. ankeri were analyzed with an average size of 6.9 ± 2.0 mm CL. From the morphological analysis the following variations of the diagnosis were observed: five teeth on the dorsal margin of the rostrum, in the diagnosis this was 6-8; five spines on the flexor margin of the dactyli of pereiopods 2-4, in the diagnosis this was 3-4. The records of this study extend the knowledge of the variation of some morphological characteristics for this species, resulting in an overlap among the species of the Lysmata wurdemanni complex.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the population structure, relative growth and morphological maturity size in Ucides cordatus in the Joanes River, Bahia State (Brazil). Crabs were sampled in a fragmented and human-altered mangrove ecosystem in a Brazilian Environmental Protected Area (EPA). A total of 431 crabs were sampled (265 males and 166 females) between September 2011 and August 2012. The following measurements were taken using precision callipers: carapace width (CW) and length (CL), the length of the propodus of the major cheliped (PL, males only), and the width of the 5th somite of the abdomen (AW, females only). Specimens were also weighed to a precision of 0.5 g on a scale to obtain the total wet weight (WW). The relative growth of this species was studied by using biometric relationships to estimate the morphological maturity size in both sexes (PLxCW in males and AWxCW in females). The overall sex ratio was 1.6:1, with a predominance of males (p & 0.05). The population structure of ‘uçá'-crabs was composed of two normal curves (juveniles and adults) in both sexes. A relative growth analysis using the CLxCW relationship revealed a negative allometric growth in adult males whereas adult females exhibited an isometric growth, with an inverse pattern occurring in juveniles. In males, the PLxCW relationship indicated a change in allometric growth at 39.4 mm CW (isometric growth in juveniles changing to positive allometry growth in adults). In females, the AWxCW relationship indicates that morphological maturity occurs at a delay (44.5 mm CW) and that growth changes between phases (positive allometry to isometry). Isometric growth was found using the WWxCW relationship, also regardless of sex. A literature review combined with results previously published about this species in northeast Brazilian region suggests that U. cordatus had a seasonal reproduction during six months (from December to May), with a fattening season in the following six months (June to November). Joanes River is an environmental protected area, but had a high anthropic pressure by closed condos and marinas. Despite the high anthropic pressure on this EPA, the population structure and reproduction of U. cordatus did not appear to be affected.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The spatial distribution of fauna associated to marine macroalgae has mostly been investigated considering a horizontal plane. However, the macroalgal substrates can present a three-dimensional structure. In this sense, investigating how the associated fauna varies throughout a vertical plane can contribute to understanding the distribution of these organisms. The brown macroalga Sargassumpresents a vertical stratification along its thallus and harbors an amphipod fauna with a variety of feeding habits. In this work, we tested if the amphipod assemblage varies along different portions of the Sargassum thallus. We collected whole Sargassum stenophyllum thalli, as well as isolated basal and distal portions, from a rocky shore located on the north coast of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil. The composition of amphipod families varied according to the Sargassum portion and the families Corophiidae, Caprellidae and Hyalidae accounted for most of the differences. Moreover, the basal portion of Sargassum had a higher diversity of amphipod families than the distal one, which may be related to differences regarding habitat complexity (herein, measured as algal biomass) between these portions. Detritivores (such as Corophiidae) were more associated to the basal portion and herbivores to the distal portion (Hyalidae) or along the whole Sargassum thallus (Ampithoidae). The variation of amphipod assemblage along Sargassum thallus seems to result from the interaction between the fauna natural history and the differences in conditions and physical structure along the algal thallus. In this sense, the vertical stratification of Sargassum can add another source of variation to the spatial distribution of associated fauna.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Marine sponges are advantageous microhabitats because of their complex architecture. The system of internal canals provides circulation of water and deposition of particulate organic matter, ensuring availability of food and shelter. Diminutive amphipods have little difficulty penetrating the spaces of sponges and remain in their aquiferous systems as one of the most abundant taxa in this association. This study evaluated the temporal variation of the gammaridean amphipod species associated with the sponge Mycale angulosa. Sponge samples were collected every three months over one year at Pontal da Cruz Beach, São Sebastião Channel, southeastern Brazil. The amphipod assembly varied over time, while the amphipod density and sponge biomass remained approximately constant. Six species contributed to the temporal variation infaunal composition, highlighting the importance of the natural history of each species.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Caridean shrimps are often infested by ectoparasites from the isopod family Bopyridae. Urobopyrus processae is a widespread species of bopyrid parasitizing the branchial (gill) chambers of members of the caridean family Processidae, including Ambidexter symmetricus. We examined hypotheses on differential infestation based on gender, castration of the host by the parasite, correlation between host and parasite size, and the fecundity of female parasites. Infestation rates varied from 1.3 to 32.1% between 2010 and 2011. Infested shrimps ranged from 1.26 mm to 6.24 mm carapace length (CL) between 2010 and 2011. Female shrimps were infested at a higher rate than males (2010 P = 0.0376; 2011 P = 0.0023). We report for the first time the differential selection between left and right branchial chambers in a caridean shrimp by a bopyrid parasite (P = 0.0209). Female parasite total length (TL) increased with host size (CL) in both years of sampling (2010 R2 adj = 0.6863; 2011 R2 adj= 0.8206). The size of male parasite TL was explained by both host CL (2010 R2 adj = 0.4591; 2011 R2 adj = 0.5490) and parasite female TL (2010 R2 adj = 0.5606; 2011 R2 adj = 0.6195). The number of embryos in a brood of the female parasite (85-3096) was varied positively with female TL (R2 adj = 0.625). Our results show that the bopyrid-shrimp host relationship in processids is typical of those studied in other carideans, indicating similar selective pressures act on bopyrids infesting the branchial chambers of shrimps.