DISTRIBUTION OF CALLIANASIDS (CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA, THALASSINIDEA) ON PARANA STATE BEACHES, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CALLICHIRUS MAJOR (SAY, 1818)

Three species of Callianasid occurred in sandy beaches of Parana state . Neochallichirus mirim had higher abundance in the inner estuarine be aches, and an occasional presence in open beaches. Biffarius delicatul us occurred only in sandy tidal flats of estuarine beaches, and repres ented the first record to Parana state. Callichirus major was the domi nant species in most of the oceanic beaches, with the highest mean den sities of 11 burrowsm(-2) in the mid littoral of beaches with gentle slope, abundant fine sand and well-defined surf zone, consisting of di ssipative to intermediate morphodynamic state. Density decreased or di sappeared in oceanic beaches with mid sand and steeper slope. Random d ispersion pattern predominated, without difference throughout the beac h profile. Many physical factors seem to determine the distribution an d abundance of C.major at the littoral of Parana. The presence of fine sand sediments and the proximity of estuarial inlets, despite the mor phodynamic beach type, favoured high abundance of this particular spec ies.