MACROCRUSTACEANS FROM PONTA DO CABO BRANCO, JOÃO PESSOA, PARAÍBA, BRAZIL, THE EASTERNMOST POINT OF SOUTH AMERICA

Abstract

Macrocrustaceans from Ponta do Cabo Branco, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil, the easternmost point of South America. The Ponta do cabo Branco hás abundant ferrugineous arenitic rocks in the intertidal and shallow subtidal regions, forming diversified habitats for crevice-dwelling crustaceans. An inventory of the fauna and flora of the area is justified by two main reasons: (i) The impact of urbanization, (pollution, treading of bathers, and curious amateur collectors), who may provoke alterations in the community structure and; (ii) Because this area is considered a strategic area deserving priority for marine conservation. The goal of this paper is to provide a list the crustaceans deposited in the Coleção de Invertebrados Paulo Young. Seventy-five species, grouped into fifty-one genera and twenty-six families, were found. Nine species with no previous references for the State of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil, are presented here. Although preliminary, this first list of crustaceans indicates that the Ponta do Cabo Branco has a singular biodiversity, requiring quantitative studies of the ecology of its marine organisms and an adequate evaluation its biodiversity.