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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 59(8)

Implications of habitat-specific growth and physiological condition on juvenile crab population structure

Valter Amaral A B D , Henrique N. Cabral C and José Paula A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Nossa Senhora do Cabo 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal.

B Marine Biological Association of the UK, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK.

C Instituto de Oceanografia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.

D Corresponding author. Email. vlamaral@fc.ul.pt

Marine and Freshwater Research 59(8) 726-734 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08006
Submitted: 10 January 2008  Accepted: 14 June 2008   Published: 22 August 2008

Abstract

Post-settlement processes can regulate the size and structure of marine invertebrate and fish populations. Faster growth and better physiological condition generally increase the survival potential of early juveniles, being usually associated with structurally complex habitats. Successive cohorts of early juvenile Carcinus maenas were followed in sandy and seagrass (Zostera noltii) habitats in the Mira Estuary, Portugal, to estimate growth and physiological condition (evaluated by RNA/DNA ratio) of juvenile populations. Mean cohort growth was similar in both habitats. However, in the sandy habitat, population size structure progressed to cohorts of larger carapace width (CW) and the RNA/DNA ratio was always higher than in the Z. noltii habitat. In this habitat, cohorts of low CW prevailed throughout and RNA/DNA ratio only increased after ~5.0 mm CW. Higher densities characterising seagrass areas may result in higher competition for resources, limiting growth and condition and leading to dispersal to less populated habitats. Larger juveniles had the best physiological condition, especially early in the season. Seagrass habitats do not necessarily yield enhanced growth rates and physiological condition of early juvenile crabs in relation to sandy areas. Knowledge of such trends is vital to understand distribution and abundance patterns of fish and marine invertebrate populations.

Additional keywords: estuarine, habitat quality, NanoDrop, nucleic acids, population dynamics.


Acknowledgements

We are in debt to V. F. Fonseca for her help with nucleic acids analyses. We thank Professor Andrew Boulton and two anonymous referees for critical comments that greatly improved the manuscript. V.A. acknowledges a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/10471/2002) funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. All work complied with Portuguese government laws.


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