Influences of sex, habitat, and seasonality on heavy-metal concentrations in the burrowing crab (neohelice granulata) from a coastal lagoon in Argentina

Abstract

Cadmium, Chromium, Copper and Manganese concentrations were determined in hepatopancreas of both sexes, as well as in eggs within different embryonic development of the burrowing crab Neohelice granulata (Brachyura, Varunidae) from Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon, a Biosphere Reserve from Argentina, along one year, to assess the bioaccumulation of metals associated with sex and seasonality. Furthermore, metal levels in associated superficial sediment samples were also determined. Two different “cangrejales”, one in a mudflat and another one in a salt marsh were studied. The results have shown high concentrations of Copper within the hepatopancreas, which were considered as a strong reflect of high exposure of the studied population of N. granulata to this metal. Metals accumulation in hepatopancreas from both study sites and sexes did not present significant differences, as seasonality did. In this sense, both spring and summer metals levels in hepatopancreas were the greatest. Eggs have not presented differences in metal accumulation neither between sites nor in embryonic stages with the exception of Manganese. For this metal, eggs from females inhabiting mudflat showed higher levels than those from salt marsh. Moreover, eggs in late embryonic stage also showed the highest Manganese concentration. Metal levels in sediments, however, were similar in both sites. These are the first results in metal levels in biota and sediments in this particular environment. Such results could be used as a baseline for the monitoring of metal levels in future studies in Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon.