Reproductive Biology of the Exotic Crab Charybdis Hellerii in the Central Coast of São Paulo State, Brazil Priscila da Silva Fuentes, Herculano Bezerra de Araújo, Álvaro Luiz Diogo Reigada

Abstract

The study of the biology of an invasive species provides support for understanding the reproductive cycle and population dynamics. In the present study, 248 individuals of the species Charybdis hellerii were captured, including 93 adult males, 60 young males, 26 adult females, 45 young females, and 24 ovigerous females. The analysis of the specimens demonstrated the presence of males and females with developed gonads in all seasons of the year, and the record of ovigerous females, we can affirm that the reproduction of Charybdis hellerii is continuous.