RELATIVE GROWTH OF GONIOPSIS CRUENTATA (CRUSTÁCEA, BRACHYURA, GRAPSIDAE), ON THE UBATUBA REGION, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL Valter J. Cobo Adilson Fransozo ABSTRACT Relative growth analyses had specially focused the determination of size at sexual maturity by means of evidencing the puberty molt. Description of relative growth patterns in Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803), and the estimation of the onset of morphological sexual maturity was studied. Monthly surveys were conducted from June 1992 to July 1993. Crabs were hand captured by three people during 1 h sample effort, in an estuarine area in the Ubatuba region, São Paulo, Brazil (23°29'24"S; 45°10' 12 "W). Measurements of carapace width and length (CW and CL), abdómen width (AW), chelar propodus height (CPH) and gonopod length (GL) in males, were recorded. Regressions were performed according to the general relative growth formula y= a.x\ A student's t-test was apphed to evaluate statistically the allometric growth constant (b). Different population groups were considered: young and adult males, young, pre-pubertal and adult females. The morphometric relations of the carapace showed a tendency to isometry. In females the abdominal width grow in positive allometry: young b= 1.35; pre-pubertal b= 1.58 and adult b= 1.38. In males, the growth of gonopod showed a positive allometry, for youngs (b= 1,64) and an isometric relation in adult phase (b= 0,957). This trend reflects an energetic budget allocation biased towards reproduction rather than growth purposes after the puberty molt. KEYWORDS. Grapsidae, Goniopsis, allometric growth, puberty molt. INTRODUCTION Literature devoted to relative growth in Brachyura approach the mathematical theory and the principies of allometry (Huxley, 1950; Teissier, 1960; Hartnoll, 1982), besides the aspects related to the determination of size at the onset of sexual maturity (Weymouth & MaCkay, 1934; Gore & Scotto, 1983; Haefner, 1990). Observed variability in growth patterns between mature and immature growth phases and within sexes are a result of relative development 1. Departamento de Biologia .Universidade de Taubaté (UNITAU), CEP 12.020-270 Taubaté, São Paulo, Brasil. 2. Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências e Centro de Aquicultura, UNESP, CEP 18618-000 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brasil. Iheringia, Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre, (84): 21-28, 20 maio 1998
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