A case of bilateral hypertrophy in the chelae of a male specimen of Minuca rapax (Smith, 1870) (Decapoda, Brachyura, Ocypodidae)

Abstract The present study describes the first record of bilaterally hypertrophied chelipeds in a male fiddler crab, Minuca rapax (Smith, 1870), collected in the mangrove area near the city of Jaguaribe, located in the northern portion of Itamaracá Island in Pernambuco, Brazil. This particular specimen was captured by hand as it emerged from its burrow. Of the total 126 individuals (48 females and 78 males) of the genus Minuca (Bott, 1954) captured, only one presented chelipeds similar in size and shape. Some of the causes of malformation in decapods have been attributed to a double generation of growth areas or non-synchronous regenerative coordination in wound healing. Due to the lack of studies on the definitive cause of these abnormalities and deformations, further investigations are required to determine the roles of individuals with abnormalities within populations as well as the principal causes of these abnormalities.

摘要
本研究首次报道了雄性拉氏招潮蟹（Minuca rapax, Smith, 1870）的双侧肥大螯足（bilaterally hypertrophied chelipeds）畸形个体，该标本采集自巴西伯南布哥州伊塔马拉卡岛北部雅瓜里贝市附近的红树林生境。该个体在爬出洞穴时被徒手捕获。本次调查共采集到敏蟹属（Minuca, Bott, 1954）个体126只，其中雌性48只、雄性78只，仅1只个体表现出双侧螯足尺寸与形态均一致的异常特征（即双侧螯足均出现肥大异常）。十足目甲壳动物（decapods）的畸形部分诱因被归因于生长区域的双重生成，或伤口愈合过程中再生协调不同步。鉴于目前尚无针对这类异常畸形确切成因的相关研究，仍需开展进一步调查，以明确此类畸形个体在种群中的生态作用，以及此类畸形的主要诱发因素。