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The Brachyuran Crab Community of the Caeté Estuary, North Brazil: Species Richness, Zonation and Abundance

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Book cover Mangrove Dynamics and Management in North Brazil

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 211))

Abstract

Knowledge of the community structure and the ecological role of species is essential to understanding the functioning and managing of mangrove ecosystems. Here, we focus on the Brachyuran crab community of the Caeté mangrove estuary in northern Brazil, with relatively pristine forests composed of only three tree species. A total of 29 terrestrial and aquatic brachyuran crabs were found, belonging to 10 families and 16 genera. Five species were recorded for the first time in the state of Pará, including one new species (Auxtinixia bragantina, Coelho 2005). We give a list with information on each species’ habitat and present drawings of most crabs. Zonation was pronounced and produced well defined species clusters at different tidal heights and habitat types. Abundance and biomass data for the most prominent species are described for three mangrove sub-habitats. Single species dominance is striking. On shadeless banks of mangrove creeks, the fiddler crab Uca maracoani contributed >95% of the total biomass/abundance, whereas inside the forest, the large leaf litter feeder Ucides cordatus dominated with 84% of the total biomass (172 g m−2 fresh mass). Compared to the Indo−West Pacific bioregion, crab (and tree) diversity in our eastern Atlantic mangroves is low. The crabs’ functional performance in north Brazilian mangroves, however, e.g., removal of leaf litter and nutrient retention, do not seem to be affected by their lower taxonomic diversity.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Fahrenheitstr. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    K. Diele

  2. Depto. Biol. Marina, Carretera al Sur, km 5.5, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, km 5.5, Ap. Postal 19-B, La Paz, B.C.S, C. P.23080, México

    V. Koch

  3. Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, Campus Universitário de Bragança, Alameda Leandro Ribeiro s/n, 68600-000, Bragança, PA, Brazil

    F. A. Abrunhosa

  4. Embrapa Amapá, Rodovia Juscelino Kubitschek, km5, n° 2600, Caixa Postal 10, Macapá, 68903-149, AP, Brazil

    J. de Farias Lima

  5. Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, Campus de Bragança, Alameda Leandro Ribeiro s/n, 68600-000, Bragança, PA, Brazil

    D. de Jesus de Brito Simith

Authors
  1. K. Diele
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  2. V. Koch
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  3. F. A. Abrunhosa
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  4. J. de Farias Lima
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  5. D. de Jesus de Brito Simith
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Correspondence to K. Diele .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecolo, Fahrenheitstr. 6, Bremen, 28359, Germany

    Ulrich Saint-Paul

  2. , Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, Alameda Leandro Ribeiro s/n, Bragança/PA, 68.600-000, Brazil

    Horacio Schneider

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Diele, K., Koch, V., Abrunhosa, F.A., de Farias Lima, J., de Jesus de Brito Simith, D. (2010). The Brachyuran Crab Community of the Caeté Estuary, North Brazil: Species Richness, Zonation and Abundance. In: Saint-Paul, U., Schneider, H. (eds) Mangrove Dynamics and Management in North Brazil. Ecological Studies, vol 211. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13457-9_16

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