Present status of Cardisoma guanhumi Latreille, 1828 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Gecarcinidae) populations in Venezuela

Résumé 0

"Venezuela has a large coastal strip with marine and estuarine environments, especially mangrove ecosystems that are adequate for populations of the land crab Cardisoma guanhumi. This crab is commercially exploited in our country. Data on its distribution and abundance is restricted and outdated. Due to its ecological en economical importance, the goal of this work is to determine the present population status. Twenty locations were sampled along approximately 75% of the Venezuelan coasts in two sampling periods (November 2009-January 2010, and June-July 2010). Population density was estimated by counting occupied burrows within a quadrate of 80m² in each of the selected locations, and burrow diameters were measured in each of the localities in each of the sampling periods. Grand mean densities were 2.18 burrows/m² in November- January and 1.6 in June-July. No significant density differences were found between sampling periods nor between regions. Burrow diameters were significantly different between sampling periods, being larger in June-July (65.66mm), and were significantly different between western and central, and between western and eastern regions. Burrow densities were higher than those found in Puerto Rico and were also higher with densities reported for the Tucacas-Boca de Aroa area by other authors. The high densities of C. guanhumi in Venezuela indicate that these populations are possible not endangered by their present commercial exploitation."