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Moult cycle and growth of Maja squinado (Decapoda: Majidae) in coastal habitats of Galicia, north-west Spain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2003

María-Paz Sampedro ,
Eduardo González-Gurriarán  and
Juan Freire
María-Paz Sampedro
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de A Coruña, Muelle de Ánimas s/n, Apartado 130, 15080 A Coruña, Spain
Eduardo González-Gurriarán*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Bioloxía Animal, Bioloxía Vexetal e Ecoloxía, Universidade da Coruña, Campus da Zapateira s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
Juan Freire
Affiliation:
Departamento de Bioloxía Animal, Bioloxía Vexetal e Ecoloxía, Universidade da Coruña, Campus da Zapateira s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
*
‡Corresponding author, e-mail: egg@udc.es
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Abstract

Over the course of the moult cycle of Maja squinado, the spider crab changes in the hardness and colour of the carapace were assessed and used as methods to identify the intermoult stage in each individual. This intermoult staging was later verified by means of the microscopic observation of the maxilla. These staging techniques made it possible for the prompt identification of the principal intermoult stages—postmoult, intermoult and premoult. In 90% of the cases analysed, there was a correlation between the presence of an underlying carapace and a pink colour of the abdominal vein in crabs in advanced premoult stages.

The seasonality of the moult was studied based on the number of specimens in the postmoult stage. There were two main moulting periods—the first occurring in April, and the second, longer period was between July and November. A hypothetical growth model was established and growth rates were determined by length–frequency distribution analyses. Three groups of juveniles and one group of adults were identified. The adults were only found among the population between July and October. In both males and females, the moult increment rate was lower in terminal moults (mean=22%) than in juvenile or prepubertal moults (mean=27%).

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 83 , Issue 5 , October 2003 , pp. 995 - 1005
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2003

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