BIOECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF UCIDES-CORDATUS (LINNAEUS, 1763) (CRUSTACEA,DECAPODA) FROM ITACORUBI MANGROVE, SC, BRAZIL

Specimens of U. cordatus from Itacorubi mangrove (Florianopolis, SC, B rasil) were monthly sampled during the day and every three months duri ng the night from February 1987 to January 1990. The average density w as estimated as 1,11 crabs/m2 and the total amount calculated to be 1, 8 x 10(6) crabs for the entire mangrove. The cleaning of the burrows a nd the search for food were the main activities of the population. The death-rate is probably related to the temperature decrease in June 19 87/88, when it reached 10-degrees-C. The mating takes place in January . U. cordatus is omnivorus with a preference to feed on plants. The le nght/width relationships for males and females are, respectively, Lt = 0,7702 wid and Lt = 0,7951 wid; the weight/width relationships are wt = 0,9827 wid2.6214 and wt = 1,1624 wid2.4844 for males and females.