Short Note Phytophilous Caridean Shrimps (Atyidae and Palaemonidae) in Salsa River (Canavieiras, Bahia, Brazil)
Short Note Phytophilous Caridean Shrimps (Atyidae and Palaemonidae) in Salsa River (Canavieiras, Bahia, Brazil)
Short Note Phytophilous Caridean Shrimps (Atyidae and Palaemonidae) in Salsa River (Canavieiras, Bahia, Brazil)
Short Note
Phytophilous caridean shrimps (Atyidae and Palaemonidae) in
Salsa river (Canavieiras, Bahia, Brazil)
Lucas Rezende Penido Paschoal, Regina Martins Souza, Fernanda Jordão Guimarães and Erminda
da Conceição Guerreiro Couto
(LRPP, RMS, FJG, ECGC) Laboratório de Ecologia Bêntica, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas,
Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC). Campus Soane Nazaré de Andrade, Rodovia Jorge
Amado, Km 16, 45662-000, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil. E-mails: (LRPP) lucasrezende20@gmail.com;
(RMS) reginamartinssouza@yahoo.com.br; (FJG) fejguimaraes@gmail.com; (ECGC) minda@
uesc.br
nursery sites due to their richness in algae by this species, added to the fact that this
and particulate matter, increasing nutritional macrophyte is free-floating, which increases
quality of this source. Melo (2003) and the scope of occurrence of this caridean given
Almeida et al. (2008) state that representatives the high shifting and transport capacity of
of this species prefer calm stretches of river individuals in the flowing-water environment
and can be found in sandy and gravel river (i.e. lotic waters) (for details see Thomaz
bottoms or associated with marginal and/ and Bini, 2003). It should be noted that the
or leafy vegetation accumulated in the river information of accidental presence of M.
bed. This study, however, clearly showed the acanthurus in E. crassipes was refuted because a
use of stems and roots of emergent and free- large number of individuals was recorded with
floating macrophytes as the habitat and shelter the macrophytes.
of a wide range of individuals, contrary to the On several occasions, males of M.
findings of the abovementioned authors and acanthurus with hypertrophied chelae and
increasing the variety of habitat spectrum of considerably larger bodies (i.e. dominant
this species, and considering that Montoya males) were captured together with the female
(2003) and Thomaz & Bini (2003) suggested groups at the macrophyte banks, which was also
that macrophyte banks can be shifted and observed for M. olfersii (Paschoal, pers. obs.).
transported, significantly contributing to This suggests sexual dimorphism in relation
the distribution of invertebrates along water to the sex and led us to speculate about the
bodies. possibility of protection of females by males in
For genus Macrobrachium Spence the habitat. Bauer (2004) states that for certain
Bate, 1868, two representative species, with species of the genus Macrobrachium, this
commercial importance for the region, were behavioural pattern is common, as dominant
recorded: M. acanthurus – most abundant males protect and guard females when they
species, with 5,229 collected individuals (52% establish territories for mating and protect
of total) and M. olfersii with 316 collected their harems with several reproductive females.
individuals (2.8% of total). These species Palaemon pandaliformis was the second
show a significant association with areas of E. most abundant species with 4,151 collected
crassipes, as observed in EicII (N = 706 and individuals (42% of total), and the only
18, respectively) and EicIII (N = 411 and 60, species with a significant difference of habitat
respectively), corroborating results obtained preferences between ovigerous females (452
by Montoya (2003). This author observed the ind.) and other representatives (3,699 ind.).
presence of three species of Macrobrachium These females were predominant in EicII (N
associated with E. crassipes, in Venezuela, and = 105), showing a greater association with this
stated that this macrophyte plays an important bank, while the other individuals were associated
role in the population dynamics of individuals with areas in which Brachiaria sp. (N = 1,630)
of this genus given its use as a nutritional and Juncus sp. (N = 1,253) were predominant.
source, habitat, shelter and nursery, and can The difference in habitats is linked to greater
play an important role in the distribution and sizes recorded for ovigerous females in relation
dispersion of this species in rivers. Melo (2003) to other representatives of the species (Paschoal
and Almeida et al. (2006, 2008) highlight et al., 2013), making them more vulnerable to
the occurrence of M. acanthurus in dark, inanition and predation. As the males of this
stagnant waters with emergent vegetation and species do not protect or defend reproductive
muddy substrate, and the rare occurrence in females, these females are more susceptible to
brackish waters. Furthermore, Almeida et al. predators. Mattos & Oshiro (2009) suggest
(2006) state that the occurrence of species in that ovigerous females of Palaemonidae seek
E. crassipes is accidental. This study shows an shelter in specific habitats to become less
increased habitat spectrum of M. acanthurus susceptible to predators. Consequently, areas
due to the use of several portions of E. crassipes with high density of macrophytes and greater
126 Paschoal et al.: Phytophilous caridean shrimps
densification of roots – as found in EicII – Almeida, A.O.; Coelho, P.A.; Santos, J.T. A. and Ferraz, N.R.
served as a habitat and shelter against predators, 2006. Crustáceos decápodos estuarinos de Ilhéus, Bahia,
Brasil. Biota Neotropica, 6(2): http://www.biotaneotropica.
favouring the occurrence of ovigerous females org.br/v6n2/pt/abstract?inventory+bn03406022006 -
in these locations. Caridean shrimps also ISSN 1676-0603.
execute circadian migrations to specific sites Bauer, R.T. 2004. Remarkable shrimps. Adaptations and
Natural History of the Carideans. Oklahoma: University
and/or macrophytes banks in search of food, Oklahoma Press, 282 p.
mating and realize physiological processes; Cook, C.D.K.; Gut, B.J.; Rix, E.M.; Schneller, J. and Seitz,
thus different niches are used by females and M. 1974. Water plants of the world: A manual for the
males, reducing the intraspecific competition identification of the genera of freshwater macrophytes.
Netherlands: The Hague, Junk Publishers, 561 pp
(Williner and Collins, 2002; Paschoal, unpubl. De Grave, S. and Fransen, C.H.J.M. 2011. Carideorum
data). Catalogus: The recent species of the Dendrobranchiate,
Results and new information on Stenopodidean, Procarididean and Caridean shrimps
(Crustacea: Decapoda). Zoologische Mededeelingen, 85:
association and ecological aspects of
195-589.
phytophilous carideans obtained in this study, Marçal, S.F. and Callil, C.T. 2008. Structure of invertebrates
serve as a basis for future studies related to community associated with Eichhornia crassipes Mart.
management and preservation of these species, (Solms-Laubach) after the introduction of Limnoperna
fortunei (Dunker, 1857) (Bivalvia, Mytilidae) in the Upper
and partially fill the gap created by the lack of Paraguay River, MT, Brazil. Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia,
knowledge on freshwater caridean shrimps. 20: 359-371.
Further and more complex studies on the Mattos, L.A. and Oshiro, L.M.Y. 2009. Estrutura populacional
de Macrobrachium potiuna (Crustacea, Palaemonidae) no
interactions between caridean shrimps and Rio do Moinho, Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Biota
aquatic macrophytes would be most rewarding. Neotropica, 9: 81-86.
Moreover, they show the extent to which Melo, G.A.S. 2003. Famílias Atyidae, Palaemonidae,
interactions between Caridae and plants Sergestidae. 289-415 p. In: G.A.S Melo (org.), Manual
de Identificação dos Crustacea Decapoda de água doce do
should be studied and approached, as once Brasil. São Paulo: Edições Loyola/Museu de Zoologia. 430
discriminated they can cause serious environ- p.
mental and financial problems, such as the Montoya, J.V. 2003. Freshwater shrimps of the genus
Macrobrachium associated with roots of Eichhornia crassipes
accidental dissemination of these beings in (Water Hyacinth) in the Orinoco Delta (Venezuela).
aquatic environments of other hydrographical Caribbean Journal of Science, 39(1): 155-159.
basins. Paschoal, L.R.P.; Guimarães, F.J. and Couto, E.C.G. 2013.
Relative growth and sexual maturity of the freshwater
shrimp Palaemon pandaliformis (Crustacea: Palaemonidae)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - We thank the Coordena- in northeast of Brazil (Canavieiras, Bahia). Iheringia, Série
ção de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior Zoologia. 103(1):31-36.
– CAPES and Dr. Sergio João de Luca by financing Thomaz, S.M. and Bini, L.M. 2003. Ecologia e manejo de
this Project, Dr. Alexandre O. Almeida for confirming macrófitas aquáticas. Maringá, EdUEM, 341 p.
species identifications, Dr. Emerson C. Mossolin and Thomaz, S.M. and Cunha, E.R. 2010. The role of
Valter M. Azevedo-Santos whose comments signifi- macrophytes in habitat structuring in aquatic ecosystems:
methods of measurement, causes and consequences on
cantly improved this manuscript and Msc. Patricia S.
animal assemblages composition and biodiversity. Acta
Santos for her help with voucher specimens deposited Limnologica Brasiliensia, 22(2): 218-236.
in crustacean collection of Universidade de Santa Cruz Williner, V. and Collins, P. 2002. Variación espacio-temporal
(MZUESC). de la actividad del camarón dulceacuícola Macrobrachium
jelskii (Miers, 1877) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea,
Palaemonidae). Ecología Austral, 12: 3-10.
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