Diele, K., Koch, V., Abrunhosa, F., Lima, J.F. and Simith, D.J.B. (2010) The brachyuran crab community of the Caeté Estuary, North Brazil: Species richness, zonation and abundance. In: Mangrove dynamics and management in North Brazil. Ecological Studies 211. , ed. by Saint-Paul, Ulrich and Schneider, Horacio. Ecological Studies, 211 . Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 251-263. ISBN 978-3-642-13456-2

Full text not available from this repository.

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.

Document Type:	Book chapter
Programme Area:	PA Not Applicable
Research affiliation:	Ecology
Open Access Journal?:	No
ISSN:	0070-8356
Date Deposited:	14 Oct 2025 16:18
Last Modified:	14 Oct 2025 16:18
URI:	https://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/960

Actions (login required)

View Item