Observation on the Hippoidea (Crustácea, Decapoda) in Pernambuco Beach, Guarujá, São Paulo State

Abstract

Among 99 specimens of the superfamily Hippoidea, collected from June to August, 1990, on Pernambuco Beach, Guarujá, three species were identified as belonging at two families: Emerita brasiliensis Schmitt, 1935, of the family Hippidae, Lepidopa richmondi Benedict, 1903, and Lepidopa venusta Stimpson, 1858, of the family Albuneidae. E. brasiliensis was dorninant, contributing with 73% from the total of collected specimens, with 87.5% of females, being 54% ovigerous. Through the morphometric data, it was observed that E. brasiliensis did not show significant differences between male and female in the total length/carapace length relationship; concerning to the total length/carapace width, the females presented wider cephalotorax, and in the total length/total weight, the females tended to be heavier. In regard to the distribution of Hippoidea in different levels of the intertidal zone it was observed that the genus Lepidopa occurred mainly in the medium and upper levels, while the female E. brasiliensis occurred in the lower and medium levels, and the males, in the three levels.