BIOLOGY, ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF PENNANT'S SWIMMING CRAB, PORTUMNUS LATIPES (PENNANT, 1777) ALONG THE COAST OF PORTUGAL

The biology, ecology and distribution of Pennant's swimming crab (Portumnus latipes) along the coast of Portugal in 2015 was studied. Females dominated the catches and the highest percentage of berried females was recorded between February and April. Mean fecundity values were 7711, 10 004 and 4838 eggs for development stages I, II and III, respectively. Estimated Von Bertalanffy growth parameters L-infinity, K and t(0) were 34.83 mm, 0.52 year(-1) and -0.41 year for males, and 27.16 mm, 0.74 year(-1) and -0.39 year for females, respectively. P. latipes is widely distributed along the Portuguese coast on sandy bottom to a maximum depth of 20 m, with the highest relative abundances from the south coast near estuaries and coastal lagoon inlets. Size distributions differed significantly (p<0.05) between the south and the southwest and northwest regions, with larger crabs in the south. Abundance was generally correlated with abundance of Donax trunculus and Donax vittatus, supporting the hypothesis of a predator-prey relationship.