Abstract
Information on biometric and biological parameters of Cancer bellianus Johnson, 1861 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Cancridae) off the Canary Islands is given. Crabs examined were collected during experimental fishing surveys during 1974–1998. Carapace length, carapace width, total wet weight, sex and ovigerous condition were determined. This species was caught at depths from 153 to 750 m, the deepest ever recorded. Size frequency distributions were assembled and size-weight relationships were estimated by sex. Sex-ratio as a function of size and depth was determined. The size at first maturity was calculated by analysing the relative growth between the carapace length and the left chela width: 103.5 mm CL in males, 101.2 mm CL in females. Ovigerous females, egg size and fecundity estimates are reported apparently for the first time.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Flores A. & M. L. Negreiros-Fransozo, 1999. Allometry of the secondary sexual characters of the shore crab Pachygrapsus transversus (Gibbes, 1850) (Brachyura, Grapsidae). Crustaceana 72(9): 1051–1066.
González, J. A., 1989. Pescas experimentales con palangres y nasas en aguas profundas del Archipiélago Canario. In: Relatório 8a Semana das Pescas dos Açores 1988. Direcção Regional das Pescas dos Açores, Horta (Azores): 149–163.
González, J. A., 1995. Catálogo de los Crustáceos Decápodos de las islas Canarias: 282 pp., Figs 1–190 (Publ. Turquesa, Santa Cruz de Tenerife).
González, J. A., I. J. Lozano, M. A. Caldentey, J. I. Santana, J. A. Gómez & R. Castillo, 1988. Resultados de la campaña de prospección pesquera CANARIAS 85. Inf. Téc. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr. 57: 93 pp.
Hines, A. H., 1991. Fecundity and reproductive output in nine species of Cancer crabs (Crustacea, Brachyura, Cancridae). Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 48: 267–275.
Holthuis, L. B., 1981. Vrais Crabes. In Fischer, W., G. Bianchi & W. B. Scott (eds), Fiches FAO d'Identification Des Espèces Pour Les Besoins De La Pêche. Atlantique Centre-Est. Zones de pêche 34 et 37 (en partie), Vol. V. ONU-FAO, Ottawa: pag. var.
Huxley, J. S., 1950. Relative growth and form transformation. Proc. R. Soc. London (B) 137: 465–469.
Jewwtt, S. C., N. A. Sloan & D. A. Somerton, 1985. Size at sexual maturity and fecundity of the fjord-dwelling golden king crab Lithodes aequispina Benedict from Northern British Columbia. J. Crust. Biol. 5(3): 377–385.
López-Abellán, L. J., M. T. G. Santamaría & E. Balguerías, 1994. Resultados de la campaña experimental de pesca, realizada en aguas del suroeste de la isla de Tenerife, Canarias 9206. Inf. Téc. Inst. Esp. Oceanog. 147: 62 pp.
Lozano, G., J. I. Santana, J. A. González, I. J. Lozano, J. Carrillo, M. A. Caldentey, S. Jiménez, M. Fanlo, C. M. Hernández, F. Lozano & A. Brito, 1990. Metodología y resultados de campañas de pesca experimental con nasas en las Islas Canarias (Proyecto 17/30.04.86). In: Bentos VI. Edit. Bilbilis, Palma de Mallorca: 335–344.
Lozano I. J., M. A. Caldentey, J. I. Santana & J. A. González, 1992. Crustáceos y peces capturados en una campaña de prospección en aguas profundas de Canarias. In Bacallado, J. J. & J. Barquín (eds), Actas VI Simposio Ibérico Estudio Bentos Marino, La Laguna, Vol. 2: 203–208.
Manning, R. B & L. B. Holthuis, 1981. West African brachyuran crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda). Smithson. Contr. Zool. 306: xii+379 pp.
Santaella, E., J. Bravo De Laguna & A. Santos, 1975. Resultados de una campaña de prospección pesquera en la isla de La Palma (Islas Canarias). Crustáceos decápodos y peces. Bol. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr. 193: 35 pp.
Sokal, R. R. & F. J. Rohlf, 1981. Biometry. The principles and practicea of statistics in biological research. W.H. Freeman & Co., 2nd edn. New York: 859 pp.
Somerton, D. A., 1980. A computer technique for estimating the size of sexual maturity in crabs. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 37: 1488–1494.
Somerton, D. A. & R. A. Macintosh, 1983. The size at sexual maturity of blue king crab, Paralithodes platypus, in Alaska. Fish. Bull. 81: 621–628.
Udekem d'Acoz, C. (d'), 1999. Inventaire et distribution des crustacés décapodes de l'Atlantique nord-oriental, de la Méditerranée et des eaux continentales adjacentes au nord de 25N. Patrimoines naturels (M.N.H.N./S.P.N.) 40: 383 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Quiles, J., Rico, V., Tuset, V. et al. Notes on the biology of Cancer bellianus (Brachyura, Cancridae) around the Canary Islands. Hydrobiologia 449, 193–199 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017546615270
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017546615270