Zaops ostreus (Brachyura: Pinnotheridae) associado com Crassostrea brasiliana (Bivalvia: Ostreidae) na costa nordeste do Brasil.

Abstract

Oyster beds provide a unique structural complexity for the ecological interaction of a considerable diversity of marine invertebrates. The ecological interrelation among pinnotherids and ostreids is one of the most wellknown. The objective of this work is to report on ecological and reproductive aspects of the association among crabs of the species Zaops ostreus and oysters of the species Crassostrea brasiliana. Oyster samples cemented on pillars were collected between June 2016 and April 2017 in the intertidal zone of Ponta de Pedras, coast of Pernambuco. Two hundred and twentyfour oysters were collected and only 38 crabs were found inside them. The percentage of host infested and the mean number of crabs per oyster was calculated at each sampling. The sex of each crab was determined. A simple linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship among the sizes of crab and oyster. Sexual dimorphism was analyzed based on carapace width using the ttest. The P of the samplings carried out ranged from 6.25% to 28.12% and the MB ranged from 0.06 to 0.28. Number of crabs per oyster ranged from 0 to 2. A significant correlation was found based on the width of the carapace of Z. ostreus females and the size of the host oysters. The data from this study amplify the knowledge about aspects of the standard use, social behavior and reproduction of Z. ostreus associated with the bivalves of the family Ostreidae.