Population structure of the deep sea hermit-crab Catapaguroides microps (Paguroidea, Anomura) in the Campos Basin, RJ, Brazil

Abstract

The population of Catapaguroides microps A. Milne-Edwards and Bouvier, 1892 in the Campos Basin was studied with an emphasis on its composition in the Northern and Southern parts of the Basin, the different gender sizes, sex ratio, and size class distribution. Specimens were collected under the "Program for the Environmental Characterization of the deep waters of the Campos Basin" ("Programa de Caracterização Ambiental das Águas Profundas da Bacia de Campos") in February and August 2003. A total of 339 hermit crabs were analyzed. Individual abundance was higher in the North. C. microps shows sexual dimorphism for body size, the males being larger than the females. The sex ratio is skewed in the female's favor (1:0.7), as shown by previous studies on shallow-water populations.