Decapoda (Crustacea)--Florida

The xanthid crabs Eurypanopeus depressus and E. dissimilis co-occur among oysters on seawalls in southeastern Florida. Population dynamics and aspects of the life history of these two species were compared during a 1-year period, at two study sites. There were no interspecific differences in adult size for either sex. For both species, females were significantly more abundant than males. E. depressus was more abundant at one study site, E. dissimilis at the other. Ovigerous females were found year-round. Number of eggs per female of both species increased with increasing carapace width. Recruitment of young into the population occurred year-round.

Decapod communities associated with intertidal and subtidal worm reefs
(Phragmatopoma lapidosa) were investigated in March and September, 1973,
at four locations along the Florida east coast. Quantitative samples
from intertidal reefs yielded few species (23), dominated by the grapsid,
Pachygrapsus transversus. Subtidal samples contained 71 species,
generally dominated by Synalpheus fritzmuelleri. Qualitative collections
yielded additional rare species resulting in a total of 94 species found
inhabit ing the worm reefs. The family Alpheidae contained the greatest
number of species (20) followed by the family Majidae (16) and the fa~ily
Xanthidae (12). The remaining 16 families were represented by seven or
fewer species. Eleven of the 94 species (or 11 .7%) were new continental
records, while occurrence of three other species constituted range
extensions from the Florida Keys or Florida west coast. A systematic
account of each species is given and taxonomic problems are elucidated.
The significance of P. lapidosa reefs as a habitat for decapods is
discussed.