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Abundance and genetic diversity of the red crab Pleuroncodes planipes along the western coast of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

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Abstract

This study reports the distribution, estimated abundance and biomass, and genetic population structure of the red crab Pleuroncodes planipes along the western coast of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Using a hybrid conical net for fish and crustaceans, bottom trawls with stratified depth were performed at transect sites perpendicular to the coast. Red crab was observed to distribute widely in the study area, particularly in upwelling areas such as Bahia Magdalena and its surroundings, and the greatest catches were recorded at depths between 51 and 100 m, and between 201 and 300 m, with values of 2,297 and 3,223 kg/h of trawl, respectively. The population genetic analysis using mitochondrial DNA sequencing revealed no significant population differentiation. The total estimated biomass was 611,525 metric tons, supporting the proposal that the red crab is a viable exploitation resource in the study area.

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Acknowledgments

The Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (SAGARPA) and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) provided funding (grant 2003-002-019 to the first author). The authors thank Gabriel Rivera Velázquez and the crew of the R/V “BIP XII” for their support during the cruise. Thanks are also due to Gemma Louise Franklin and Tania Zenteno-Savín for translating and editing the English language. Three anonymous reviewers helped to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. (CIBNOR) Instituto Politecnico Nacional No. 195, Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, 23096, La Paz, BCS, Mexico

    Juan Antonio De Anda-Montañez, Ricardo Perez-Enriquez & Fidencio Hernández-Martínez

  2. Centro Regional de Investigación Pesquera (CRIP) La Paz del INAPESCA, Km 1 Carretera a Pichilingue s/n, 23020, La Paz, BCS, Mexico

    Susana Martínez-Aguilar

  3. Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Apartado Postal 592, 23090, La Paz, BCS, Mexico

    Francisco Javier García-Rodríguez

  4. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Enseñanza Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Carr. Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3918, Zona Playitas, 22860, Ensenada, BC, Mexico

    Alberto Amador-Buenrostro

Authors
  1. Juan Antonio De Anda-Montañez
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  2. Ricardo Perez-Enriquez
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  3. Susana Martínez-Aguilar
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  4. Fidencio Hernández-Martínez
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  5. Francisco Javier García-Rodríguez
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  6. Alberto Amador-Buenrostro
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Correspondence to Ricardo Perez-Enriquez.

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De Anda-Montañez, J.A., Perez-Enriquez, R., Martínez-Aguilar, S. et al. Abundance and genetic diversity of the red crab Pleuroncodes planipes along the western coast of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Fish Sci 79, 21–32 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-012-0574-5

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