Size frequency distribution and growth of the crabs Callinectes arcuatus and C. bellicosus (Decapoda: Portunidae) in Las Guasimas coastal lagoon, Mexico

Information on size frequency distribution, the width-weight relation and growth parameters of the crabs Callinectes arcuatus and C. bellicosus is presented. The data comes from samples taken with a trawl net both day and night on a monthly basis from March 1998 to February 2000 in a coastal lagoon from Gulf of California. C. bellicosus (n= 878) was more abundant than C. arcuatus (n= 357) and its size frequency distribution presented carapace width CW ranges of 8.4-166 mm and 9-130 mm respectively. Both populations were mainly represented by juveniles (75 mm in CW) ranging from 37 to 75 mm in CW, and adults (>75 mm in CW) between 76 and 90 mm in CW. In both species the width-weight relation showed that males grow more than females, with an isometric growth tendency being observed. The growth parameters for C. arcuatus estimated using the von Bertalanffy Model, were: K= 0.84 year(-1), L infinity= 140 mm to = -0.12 for C. arcuatus, and K= 0.9 year(-1), L infinity= 169 mm to = -0.11 for C. bellicosus. These results showed that the relative age at which maximum growth is attained is between three and four years for both species.