Podding of juvenile king crabs Lithodes santolla (Molina, 1782) (Crustacea) in association with holdfasts of Macrocystis pyrifera (Linnaeus) C. Agardh, 1980 Agregaciones de juveniles de centolla Lithodes santolla (Molina, 1782) (Crustacea) en asociaci車n con discos de fijaci車n de Macrocystis pyrifera (Linnaeus) C. Agardh, 1980

作者：Cesar A Cardenas; Juan I Caete; Sylvia Oyarzun; Andres Mansilla

来源：Investigaciones Marinas, 2007.

• bentos subantartico
• relacion alga-animal
• Lithodes santolla
• aguas someras
• estrecho de Magallanes
• Chile
• subantarctic benthos
• seaweed-animal relationship
• Lithodes santolla
• shallow water
• Strait of Magellan
• Chile

Underwater photographic records and sampling were carried out in Steamer Bay, Strait of Magellan, Chile, to study the spatial distribution patterns of juvenile king crabs Lithodes santolla during late winter and early spring in 2006. Observations were made on the relationship between these crabs and the holdfasts and stipes of the large kelp Macrocystis pyrifera. Dense aggregations, known as ※pods§, of juvenile king crab (34-75 mm CL) were observed and photographed for the first time in specific areas of the embayment in relation to Macrocystis; pod abundance varied between 2 and 70 ind﹞m-2. Maximum abundance was detected on plants having holdfasts %26gt; 15 cm in diameter and abundant stipes and sporophylls. The ratio between male and female abundance was nearly 1:1. This study attempts to bring attention to previously unknown ecological roles of the kelp M. pyrifera in relation to its associated benthic fauna in habitats near the southern tip of South America as background information on the ecological functions of this species prior to allowing its industrial-scale exploitation Se efectuaron registros fotogr芍ficos y colecta de muestras en bah赤a Steamer, estrecho de Magallanes, Chile, para estudiar los patrones de distribuci車n espacial de juveniles de la centolla Lithodes santolla durante fines de invierno y comienzo de la primavera en 2006. Las observaciones fueron realizadas en relaci車n a presencia de centollas juveniles en discos de fijaci車n y estipes de la macroalga parda Macrocystis pyrifera. Se observaron y fotografiaron por primera vez, densas agregaciones de juveniles de centolla (34-75 mm LC), conocidas como ※pods§, en 芍reas espec赤ficas de la bah赤a relacionadas con Macrocystis. La abundancia vari車 entre 2 y 70 ind﹞m-2. Las mayores abundancias se detectaron en plantas con disco de fijaci車n con di芍metros %26gt; 15 cm y con presencia de abundantes estipes y esporofilas. La proporci車n de abundancia entre machos y hembras fue cercana a 1:1. El presente estudio pretende llamar la atenci車n de los roles ecol車gicos, previamente desconocidos, del alga M. pyrifera en relaci車n a la fauna bent車nica asociada a h芍bitats distribuidos en el extremo sur de Sudam谷rica b芍sica para conocer las funciones ecol車gicas de esta macroalga antes de permitir su explotaci車n a escala industrial