Health State, morphological characterization and biometric parameters in the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus Linnaeus, 1763 (Brachyura: Ocypodidae)

The crab Ucides cordatus is an important feature of mangroves in the North and Northeast of Brazil. In 2002 a large mortality was reported on this species in the Jaguaribe River Estuary. In order to investigate the possible causes specimens were collected monthly between May 2002 and December 2003 at five sites: Fortim (E1), Fortim (E2), Cumbe (E3) Aracati (E4) and Guajiru (E5). The mangrove structure and environmental parameters (salinity, pH, temperature and DO) were also evaluated. Water was collected for suspended solids analysis, BOD and nutrient levels. Salinity decreased in the rainy season, with no significant variation of pH and temperature. Dissolved oxygen levels had a mean of 5.7 mg L-1. Suspended solids increased at site E4, with BOD varying at E1 and E2 during the dry season. The same was observed at sites E1, E2 and E3 during the rainy season. Ammonia levels at E1 and E2 and phosphorus in all seasons, increased with rain events. Four lines of investigation were adopted: biometry, histology, hematology, and bioassay. There was no significant difference between animals in biometrics and histology showed no cellular alterations. However, hematology showed a significant difference between the E1 and E3 sites due to depletion in the number of hemocytes in E1, probably in response to environmental impacts. This can lead to poor immunity, leading to opportunistic pathogen infections such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. The bioassay showing no abnormal behavior or mortality. The structure the of mangrove was developed in all areas, except in E5 which served as a control site, with significant environmental stress with high levels of herbivorous growth (> 50%) and a salinity of around 50 ‰. It is believed that the mortality of the crabs was an occasional occurrence, probably due to toxin production by some fungal organism.

Vibrio na água e sedimento de viveiros de quatro fazendas de carcinicultura no estado do Ceará, Brasil / Vibrio in pond water and sediment from four shrimp farms in Ceará state, Brazil

Foram realizadas 16 coletas, oito no período chuvoso e oito no período de estio, em quatro fazendas de carcinicultura do Estado do Ceará, nos estuários dos rios Jaguaribe (fazendas A e B) e Acaraú (fazendas C e D), totalizando 32 amostras. O objetivo da pesquisa foi quantificar e identificar Vibrio spp. nas amostras de água e sedimento. Os valores máximos da Contagem Padrão em Placas (CPP) de Vibrio spp. encontrados para as amostras de água, no período chuvoso, foram de 5.103 UFC/mL est. e, para o sedimento, de 7,5.103 UFC/g est. No período de estio, a CPP máxima para água foi de 4,35.102 UFC/mL est. e de 3,55.103 UFC/g est. para as amostras de sedimento. Foram obtidos 36 isolados de Vibrio: Vibrio spp. (17), V. vulnificus B1(3); V. calviensis (2), V. cholerae (2), V. litoralis (2), V. metschnikovii (2), V. agarivorans (1), V. alginolyticus (1), V. campbellii (1), V. coralliilyticus (1), V. diazotrophicus (1), V. logei (1), V. mediterranei (1), V. vulnificus B2 (1). O conhecimento da presença de espécies, nunca anteriormente isoladas em viveiros de fazendas de carcinicultura, tais como o V. coralliilyticus, V. agarivorans, V. litoralis e V. calviensis são importantes para o monitoramento microbiológico contínuo desses ambientes.

Sixteen collections were taken, eight during rainy season and eight on the draught season in four shrimp farms in Ceará State, from Jaguaribe River (farms A and B) and Acaraú River (farms C and D) estuaries, totalizing 32 samples. The goal of the research was to identify and quantify Vibrio spp. in water and in sediment samples. The maximum Standard Plate Count (SPC) values of Vibrio spp. calculated for the rainy season, from water, was 5.103 CFU/mL est., and for the sediment 7.5.103 CFU/g est.. For the draught season, maximum counting for water was 4.35.102 CFU/mL est. and for sediment 3.55.103 CFU/g est.. Thirty six strains of Vibrio were isolated: Vibrio spp. (17), V. vulnificus B1(3), V. calviensis (2), V. cholerae (2), V. litoralis (2), V. metschnikovii (2), V. agarivorans (1), V. alginolyticus (1), V. campbellii (1), V. coralliilyticus (1), V. diazotrophicus (1), V. logei (1), V. mediterranei (1), V. vulnificus B2 (1). The isolation of species never previously isolated of shrimp farms, such as V. coralliilyticus, V. agarivorans, V. litoralis and V. calviensis are important for the continuous microbiological monitoring these environments.

Morphology of the male gonads of the spiny lobster Panulirus laevicauda (Latreille, 1817)

The present study represented a contribution to the knowledge of the cytological and histological aspects of decapods' reproductive system, describing male germ cells of the spiny lobster Panulirus laevicauda. Seventy-one specimens of different sizes were caught off Fortaleza (Ceará, Brazil). Their testes were removed and fixed in Bouin solution, then, after 24 hours, dehydrated, cleared and embedded in the paraffin. Sections (4 µm thick) were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The testes appeared macroscopically as a pair of long and highly convoluted tubes joined by a transversal commissure giving the organ an H-like shape. Microscopically, supporting cells and germ cells (spermatogonia I and II, spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa) were seen in the testicular acini. Some of the acini showed signs of the spermotocytes and the spermatogonia degeneration. The spermatozoa were small cells with the peripheral nuclei and a lightly basophilic cytoplasm. They were nonmotile gametes and are characterized by the absence of a flagellum, but they had spikes radiating from the body. Three stages of follicular development in the mature individuals were observed: (a) predominance of spermatogonia I and II; (b) increasing numbers of spermatocytes I and II; and (c) spermatocytes I and II were prevalent. All the three stages of the spermatozoa were observed in the follicular lumen. These observations agreed with the published descriptions of other palinurid and homarid lobsters. A histochemical analysis of the testes showed that the main component of the tunic was collagenous fibers, that the seminal fluid contained plenty of glycoproteins and carboxyl-glycoconjugates and that the spherical bodies and spermatozoa contained glycoproteins and mucoproteins.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo ampliar os conhecimentos na área de histologia e citologia do sistema reprodutivo dos Decapoda, descrevendo as células germinativas do macho da lagosta Panulirus laevicauda. Animais com tamanhos variados foram coletados em diferentes épocas do ano no litoral de Fortaleza, Estado do Ceará - Brasil, totalizando 71 machos. Os testículos foram retirados e fixados em bouin e processados. Cortes de 5µm foram corados em hematoxilina - eosina. Seguindo observações macroscópicas, os testículos são longos tubos pares altamente convolutos unidos por uma comissura transversal na porção mediana, apresentando uma forma de H. As análises microscópicas dos folículos testiculares mostraram células sustentaculares e germinativas (espermatogônias I e II, espermatócitos I e II, espermatócitos I em degeneração, espermátides e espermatozóides). Os espermatozóides são células pequenas com núcleo periférico e citoplasma levemente basofílico. Três estágios foliculares para indivíduos maduros foram identificados: tipo a, onde predominam espermatogônias I e II; tipo b com maior incidência de espermatócitos I e II e no tipo c foi observado principalmente espermátides e espermatócitos I em degeneração. Espermatozóides podem ser encontrados no lúmen dos folículos nos três estágios de desenvolvimento. Os resultados obtidos seguem o padrão encontrado na bibliografia especializada em outras espécies de lagostas palinurídeas e homarídeas. Testes histoquímicos realizados em alguns componentes dos testículos mostraram que a túnica é rica em fibras colágenas, o fluido seminal é formado por glicoproteinas e glicosaminoglicanas, os corpos esféricos e espermatozóides são compostos de glicoproteinas e mucoproteinas.