Distribution pattern in Aegla uruguayana Schmitt, 1942 (Decapoda: Anomura: Aeglidae): Temporal and spatial approach

Abstract

The presence, density, and distribution pattern of a species in a particular space and time result from evolutionary and ecological processes. We evaluated the density and spatial distribution pattern of the freshwater anomuran crab, Aegla uruguayanaSchmitt, 1942, in relation to temporal and spatial scales. The temporal scale followed a seasonal analysis, and the space scale was evaluated from the study of three streams located in different provinces of Argentina. Specimens were collected in four sampling campaigns during spring, summer, autumn, and winter in three temperate freshwater environments of the La Plata Basin, Argentina, using 1 m2 sampling units. The density varied according to the studied populations and was not by seasonality. The distribution pattern was not influenced by the evaluated scales. The A. uruguayana populations presented a clumped pattern showing a negative binomial distribution. A possible cause of such a pattern is the strong environmental heterogeneity of the three studied sites. The species presented gregarious behavior that could be associated with the spatial arrangement of the shelters available in the particular habitats as well as ecological strategies for optimal and efficient use of resources in these topographies. Our study is the first on the dynamics of the distribution in terms of temporal and spatial scopes of a species of AeglaLeach, 1820, an endemic freshwater anomuran.