Crustaceans associated to hard substrate in the intertidal zone of Montepío, Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

The rocky intertidal zone is the habitat of a number of species due to its spatial heterogeneity. In this study the crustacean species richness at Montepio is presented based on samples obtained monthly from February 1996 to February 1997, and bimonthly from July 2004 to July 2005, and deposited in the National Crustacean Collection, Instituto de Biología, UNAM. A total of 4 437 organisms was identifi ed, grouped in 19 families, 36 genera and 60 species. The families with the highest number of species were Alpheidae with 11 species, Porcellanidae with 7, Gammaridae with 6, the rest of the families contributed with the remaining 60% of the species. Regarding the density, the following species had the highest values: Tetraclita stalactifera floridana (457 org/l), Megabalanus tintinnabulum (318 org/l), Elasmopus sp. 1 (280 org/l) and Neopisosoma angustifrons (267 org/l). It was determined through an Olmstead-Tükey analysis that 65% of the species were occasional, 12% dominant, 20% common and 3% indicator. Species richness in Montepio is lower than those for other areas in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific coast with rocky substrates.