Assemblage of hermit crabs near coastal islands in southeastern Brazil

Authors

  • Israel Fernandes Frameschi NEBECC, Núcleo de Estudos em Biologia, Ecologia e Cultivo de Crustáceos. Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP.
  • Luciana Segura de Andrade Departamento de Zoologia. Instituto de Biociências. Distrito de Rubião Junior, s/n, 18618-970, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
  • Fabiano Gazzi Taddei Centro de Estudos Superiores de Parintins (CESP). Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA).
  • Vivian Fransozo Departamento de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia (UESB).
  • Lissandra Corrêa Fernandes-Goés Universidade Estadual do Piauí (UESPI).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4013/nbc.2014.91.02

Abstract

An assortment of environmental factors may limit the permanence of hermit crabs in the environment, and determination of certain ecological indices can reveal the current conditions of the assemblage. This study evaluated the assemblage of hermit crabs near two islands adjacent to areas with fishing activity. Hermit crabs were collected monthly near Couves and Mar Virado islands on the southeastern coast of Brazil, from January through December 1998. Environmental factors were also recorded monthly. Ecological indices including species richness, diversity, evenness and dominance were calculated. The environmental characteristics differed between the islands, which helps to explain the differences in the composition of hermit crabs between the locations. Hermit crabs were significantly more abundant near Couves Island, where, according to the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), the environmental parameters varied less. The Monte Carlo test (P < 0.05) confirmed the CCA model, indicating a strong correlation between the species of hermit crabs, bottom and surface water temperatures, and sediment organic-matter content. The presence of ovigerous females throughout the year indicates that these areas are favorable for reproduction. These results indicate that the environmental heterogeneity allows the establishment of different species of hermit crabs, influencing species richness and abundance of individuals in the ecosystem. These conditions favor the establishment of diverse benthic communities near the studied islands.

Keywords: Diogenidae, Paguridae, diversity, abundance, multivariate analysis, Dardanus insignis, Loxopagurus loxochelis.

Author Biographies

Israel Fernandes Frameschi, NEBECC, Núcleo de Estudos em Biologia, Ecologia e Cultivo de Crustáceos. Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP.

Departamento de Zoologia. Instituto de Biociências. Distrito de Rubião Junior, s/n, 18618-970, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.

Luciana Segura de Andrade, Departamento de Zoologia. Instituto de Biociências. Distrito de Rubião Junior, s/n, 18618-970, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.

Fabiano Gazzi Taddei, Centro de Estudos Superiores de Parintins (CESP). Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA).

Vivian Fransozo, Departamento de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia (UESB).

Lissandra Corrêa Fernandes-Goés, Universidade Estadual do Piauí (UESPI).

Downloads

Published

2013-11-08

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2014): January/April

Section

Articles

License

I grant the journal Neotropical Biology and Conservation the first publication of my article, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license (which allows sharing of work, recognition of authorship and initial publication in this journal).

I confirm that my article is not being submitted to another publication and has not been published in its entirely on another journal. I take full responsibility for its originality and I will also claim responsibility for charges from claims by third parties concerning the authorship of the article.

I also agree that the manuscript will be submitted according to the journal’s publication rules described above.