Population biology of the fiddler crab Uca maracoani (Crustacea, Ocypodidae) inhabiting an impacted mangrove area on the southern coast of São Paulo state, Brazil

Fiddler crabs are important components of intertidal benthic macrofauna in estuarine habitats. However, these invertebrates often inhabit areas under anthropogenic-driven changes. In this study, we evaluated the habitat quality and population biology fiddler crab Uca maracoani (Latreille, 1802) a mangrove area anthropogenic influence, on southern coast São Paulo state, Brazil. Sediment samples for ecotoxicological analyses data U. were collected monthly between October 2008 2009. Contamination was observed sediment from all months, indicating that organisms inhabiting study continuously exposed to toxicity. The sex ratio did not deviate 1:1 whole maracoani, within any given month (except 2008, when males outnumbered females). Adult females showed similar size, while juvenile larger than males, probably reflecting attained sexual maturity at size males. For both adult stages, major cheliped propodus length height abdomen width positive allometry. size-frequency distribution studied varied unimodal bimodal. Juveniles recorded suggesting has continuous recruitment. contrast, ovigerous found several months. Although is contamination present sediment, it presents well-established seems persist area.