Contribution to the biology and fishery of the deep-water red crab, Chaceon Affinis (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894) (Decapoda, Brachyura, Geryonidae) in deep waters of the Canary Islands (Central-East Atlantic)

UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 1 (50-135) 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIOLOGY AND FISHERY OF THE DEEP-WATER RED CRAB, CHACEON AFFINIS (A. MILNE-EDWARDS & BOUVIER, 1894) (DECAPODA, BRACHYURA, GERYONIDAE) IN DEEP WATERS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS (CENTRAL-EAST ATLANTIC) BY J. J. CASTRO1,4), V. HERNÁNDEZ-GARCÍA1), A. T. SANTANA-ORTEGA1), Y. PÉREZ-GONZÁLEZ2), A. TRUJILLO-SANTANA1), A. M. CABALLERO-ALFONSO1) and U. GANZEDO3) 1)Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Edif. de Ciencias Básicas, Campus de Tafira, E-35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain 2)Gestión del Medio Rural de Canarias, SAU, Avda. Alcalde José Ramírez Bethencourt, 17, E-35004 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain 3)Departamento de Física Aplicada II, Universidad del País Vasco, E-48080 Bilbao, Spain ABSTRACT Two exploratory trap fishing surveys were carried out from February to April and from June to July 2003, respectively, at depths ranging between 300 and 1200 m, with the objective to assess deep fishery resources of the Canary Archipelago. Despite the fact that the deep-water red crab, Chaceon affinis is a virtually unknown species for the artisanal fishermen of the islands, it was relatively frequent in catches, as an indication of its abundance in deep waters off the archipelago. This crab was captured in the whole range of depths sampled, although its highest abundance was found between 600 and 800 m, on muddy-rocky bottoms. Moreover, significant differences were observed in the average weight and length, according to depth of capture, island of origin, and date of survey. In general, the bparameter of length-weight relationship indicates a negative allometric growth pattern, although in some cases it was not statistically different from isometry, particularly in males. Males were heavier, larger, and more abundant in catches than females. RESUMEN Se realizaron dos campañas de pesca exploratoria de febrero a abril y de junio a julio de 2003, respectivamente, entre los 300 y 1200 m de profundidad con el objeto de evaluar los recursos pesqueros profundos del Archipiélago Canario. A pesar de que el cangrejo rey (Chaceon affinis)es una especie prácticamente desconocida para los pescadores artesanales de las Islas, fue relativamente frecuente en las capturas, prueba de su abundancia en las aguas profundas del Archipiélago. Este cangrejo fue capturado en todo el rango de profundidades muestreado, aunque su mayor abundancia 4)Author for correspondence; e-mail: [email protected] ©Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2010 Crustaceana 00 (0): 1-19 Also available online: www.brill.nl/cr DOI:10.1163/001121610X526988 UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 2 (135-189) 2J. J. CASTRO ET AL. 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 se encontró entre los 600 y 800 m de profundidad, tanto sobre fondos fangosos como rocosos. Además, se observaron diferencias significativas en los pesos y tallas medias, según la profundidad de captura, isla y fecha de la campaña. En general, el exponente bde la relación talla-peso indicó un patrón de crecimiento alométrico negativo, aunque en algunos casos éste no fue estadísticamente diferente de la isometría, particularmente en machos. En las capturas, los machos fueron más pesados, grandes y abundantes que las hembras. INTRODUCTION The Canary Islands have narrow coastal shelves surrounded by deep waters, so they do not have important fishing grounds. Around these oceanic islands fishing is not very productive, because the sea floor is rough, which constitutes a handicap for the trawl fisheries, and the living resources that are present have only small biomass and are frequently inaccessible (Bas et al., 1995). Due to these difficulties, small-scale fishery has historically centred its activity on the neritic zone and particularly on demersal fish (mainly comprised of breams: Dentex spp., Diplodus spp., Pagellus spp., Pagrus spp., etc.) and benthic cephalopods (mostly Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797) (cf. González-Pajuelo, 1997; Hernández-García et al., 1998). Curiously, crustaceans have never been significant in the landings of the artisanal fleet, reaching only 0.1% of total catches (Gonzalez & Santana, 1996; Melnychuk et al., 2001). However, the high fishing pressure developed during the last three decades has resulted in many fish species currently being overfished (Pajuelo & Lorenzo, 1995, 1996; among many others) and this has forced part of the artisanal fleet to move offshore for access to pelagic resources as chub mackerel (Scomber colias Gmelin, 1789), sardines (Sardinella spp.), tunas (particularly Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758)), and various deep-water species (i.e., benthic sharks, Centroscymnus spp., Dalatias licha (Bonnaterre, 1788) Centrophorus spp., common mora Mora moro (Risso, 1810), offshore rockfish Pontinus kuhlii (Bowdich, 1825), blackbelly rosefish Helicolenus dactylopterus dactylopterus (Delaroche, 1809), etc.) (cf. Brito et al., 1998). Since 1967, several research projects have been carried out off the Canary Islands to study the fauna that inhabits deep waters around the archipelago, and to assess its potential as a fishing resource for the local fleet. According to González et al. (1997, 2006), Plesionika edwardsii (Brandt, 1851) and Chaceon affinis (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894) appeared to be the most important new target resource among crustaceans from a biological and commercial point of view, although Castro et al. (2003) extend the estimated fishing interest also to Paramola cuvieri (Risso, 1816) and Cancer bellianus Johnson, 1861. However, fishing down to 200 m depth is rare among the Canaries fishermen, because it is a high cost fishery that initially requires important adaptations to the vessels, that should be UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 3 (189-238) BIOLOGY OF CHACEON AFFINIS AT THE CANARY IS. 3 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 fit to transport and handle larger and heavier traps. Furthermore, the risk of gear loss is rather high (over 10% of the traps per fishing trip; authors’ unpubl. data). In addition, the catches are not really abundant (averages of 40.9 and 52.7 g/h for fish and crustaceans, respectively), and lower than those reported for other deep fishing grounds (i.e., to the N.W. of Spain, as reported by Pineiro et al. (2001), catches were over 20 times as high). Moreover, many of these deep-water species are not well accepted by the fish market, due to their unattractive morphology. Until now, there is almost no biological information about deep-sea benthic resources around the Canary Islands. Even though research focused on the evaluation of deep communities, in view of the possibility to reorient part of the fishing effort towards some of those groups, the results obtained gave no clear impression of deep-water fishing potentiality. Most of the available information comes from trap surveys. Although, this method offers the advantage of deployment at all times and depths, most of the bias and problems with the use of this gear concern the way CPUE (Catch Per Unit of Effort) relates to resource abundance. Animals can avoid traps or escape from traps or be preyed upon while in it, and mesh size can be selected for or against the capture of certain sizes of individuals, so that CPUE is decoupled from resource abundance. Selectivity caused by the size of the entrance, mesh size, trap volume, type of bait, demersal time, and animal behaviour, are some of the factors shown to affect trap CPUE, but the real constraints on their use as a sampling tool are related to the characteristics of the data collected (Cappo & Brown, 1996). Nevertheless, this kind of trap has allowed the identification, with concurrent data on distribution and various biological features, of some potentially fishing target species in the area (González & Santana, 1996; Santana et al., 1997; González et al., 2001; Quiles et al., 2001). In this context, deep-sea crabs like Chaceon affinis present a major attractive target for Canarian fishermen, due to the high prices that some species can reach at the local fish market. Yet, despite the fact that geryonid crabs (i.e., Chaceon quinquedens Smith, 1879) are commercially exploited in several parts of the North Atlantic (Lux et al., 1982; Manning & Holthuis, 1984; Elner et al., 1987; Erdman & Blake, 1988; Melville-Smith, 1988; Robinson, 2008; among many others), curiously this has not resulted in any specifically focused commercial activity on the islands. The development of this fishery appears to be hampered by a lack of biological information, as well as reliable data on distribution and abundance of the species in different areas. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of the deep-water red crab C. affinis off the Canary Islands, i.e., of its abundance by depth strata, and its geographical distribution. UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 4 (238-267) 4J. J. CASTRO ET AL. 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 MATERIAL AND METHODS In 2003, two exploratory fishing surveys were carried out, one from February to April and another between June and July, off five islands in the Canary Archipelago (fig. 1). Due to the regulations on fishing gears at the Canaries, fishing with traps was not allowed off the islands of El Hierro and Fuerteventura. Fishing was done using traps deployed from 300 to 1200 m deep. In each fishing area, traps were distributed among different depth strata (640 traps in total). The traps employed were those traditionally used in the artisanal small-scale trap fishery (sensu Hernández-García et al., 1998; 35 mm mesh size). They were deployed in various ways, depending on the power and length of each of the fishing boats (6.25-11.15 m) used off each island (which conditioned the ability to hoist a maximum number of traps per series and their handling on the ship’s deck). In this way, the unit of effort considered to calculate abundance (assumed as CPUE) was the time (hours) that each trap was fishing. Generally, traps were deployed in series of 2 or 3 units, separated 100 m from each other. The mean demersal time was 3.9 days (SD =2.8), however, and due to bad sea conditions, eight traps (1.25%) were recovered twenty-four days after being deployed. The traps were baited with fresh chub mackerel or sardines. The boats used were all wooden artisanal vessels, equipped with a winch, used to hoist the traps, a fish echo sounding, and GPS. During each fishing operation the GPS position, depth, time of fishing, and abundance (number of individuals and weight) of each species caught were recorded. Also, for each deep-water red crab caught, the carapace length (CL), Fig. 1. Areas (dark shaded) off the islands Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Gomera, and La Palma, where crabs were caught with traps. UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 5 (267-352) BIOLOGY OF CHACEON AFFINIS AT THE CANARY IS. 5 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 carapace width (CW), and wet weight (W) were measured, and sex was recorded. Accompanying species were noted as well. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) was calculated as total weight of deep-water red crab per hour of fishing (time of effective deployment of each trap). RESULTS Length and weight distributions and sex ratio A total of 263 individuals of Chaceon affinis (110 females, 144 males, and 6 undetermined specimens) was captured in 98 traps (15.3% of total traps deployed). From the whole sample, the averages of key variables (CL, CW, and W) were significantly higher in males than in females (table I), but when analysed by island these differences were only significant at Gran Canaria and Tenerife (during the second survey, no females were caught off Lanzarote and no males off La Palma). TABLE I Sample size (N), range, mean, SD, and significance of differences between sexes in weight, carapace length, and carapace width of the deep-water red crab, Chaceon affinis (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894) measured and weighed during the fishing surveyed carried out around the Canary Islands Survey N Range Mean SD M-W test* February-April Weight (g) Males 85 144.2-1612.2 997.9 366.9Z=4.73 Females 28 241.6-1004.4 652.3 214.8P<0.0001 Total 117 144.2-1612.2 908.3 372.9 CL (cm) Males 85 6.8-15.5 12.52.0Z=2.53 Females 27 7.9-15.5 11.81.7P=0.01 Total 116 6.8-15.5 12.32.0 CW (cm) Males 85 9.1-18.0 14.92.1Z=3.13 Females 27 9.9-16.5 13.91.6P=0.002 Total 116 9.1-18.0 14.62.0 June-July Weight (g) Males 59 58.6-1626.1 970.9 363.7Z=6.03 Females 82 72.5-1709.1 652.7 231.5P<0.0001 Total 143 58.6-1709.1 791.2 337.2 CL (cm) Males 59 5.2-17.0 12.92 .0Z=4.71 Females 82 6.0-15.0 11.71.5P<0.0001 Total 143 5.2-17.0 12.21.8 CW (cm) Males 59 6.1-18.5 14.72.2Z=4.52 Females 82 6.8-18.5 13.41.7P<0.0001 Total 143 6.1-18.5 14.02.0 *Mann-Whitney Utest. UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 6 (352-387) 6J. J. CASTRO ET AL. 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 Fig. 2. Length frequency distribution of males and females of Chaceon affinis (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894) caught around the Canary Islands. The length frequency distribution was unimodal for both sexes (mean CL was 14.8 and 13.5 cm, for males and females, respectively) (fig. 2). Significant differences in the distributions of carapace length and weight were observed between the islands (One-way ANOVA, F=5.29, P<0.00001, fig. 3; and F=7.65, P<0.00001, fig. 4, respectively): crabs caught off Lanzarote being UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 7 (387-795) BIOLOGY OF CHACEON AFFINIS AT THE CANARY IS. 7 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 Fig. 3. Length range of the deep-water red crab, Chaceon affinis (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894) caught at each island’s fishing ground (One-way ANOVA, F(4, 254) =5.87, P=0.0004) (sample size for each ground: Lanzarote =9; Gran Canaria =132; Tenerife =59; Gomera =20; La Palma =39). larger and heavier than the others from the rest of the fishing grounds, and those caught off La Gomera were the smallest and lightest ones. Moreover, there were significant differences in the length and weight distributions of crabs caught in both surveys (One-way ANOVA, F=5.35, P=0.02, for length; and F=7.04; P=0.0008, for weight), those individuals having been fished between February to April being larger and heavier than those obtained between June and July (table I). The length-weight relationship of Chaceon affinis caught off the Canary Islands, as a whole, describes a negative allometric growth pattern (CL plotted against W). However, when individuals were analysed by sex and by island ground, in some cases the bparameter of this relationship was not statistically different from 3, particularly in males (table II). Moreover, the sex ratio also varied from one island to another. Males were more abundant than females, except off Gran Canaria where this ratio was in favour of females but not significant (table III). A segregation of sexes by depth intervals was not observed (table IV; figs. 5 and 6). Depth distribution and abundance of the deep-water red crab Chaceon affinis were captured in a depth range from 300 to 1200 m. However, significant differences in bathymetric distribution were observed between islands UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 8 (795-797) 8J. J. CASTRO ET AL. 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 Fig. 4. Weight range of males and females of Chaceon affinis (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894) caught at each island’s fishing ground (male sample size for each ground: Lanzarote =6, Gran Canaria =55, Tenerife =43, Gomera =10, and La Palma =33; female sample size for each ground: Lanzarote =3, Gran Canaria =77, Tenerife =13, Gomera =10, and La Palma =5). (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, H=39.27, P<0.0001; fig. 5) and between the two fishing surveys (Mann-Whitney Utest, Z=−2.594, P=0.009; fig. 6). Moreover, the deep-water red crab presented a greater abundance around the central islands (Gran Canaria and Tenerife) during both surveys (Kruskal-Wallis UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 9 (797-805) BIOLOGY OF CHACEON AFFINIS AT THE CANARY IS. 9 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 TABLE II Length-weight relationship (Pearson correlation, log/log plots) parameters for male and female deepwater red crabs Chaceon affinis (A. Milne Edwards & Bouvier, 1894) caught at the fishing grounds of the Canary Archipelago abSE(b)r n t PSE estimate Total All 0.087 2.58 0.11 0.83 257 24.53 <0.0001 0.127 Males 0.196 2.50 0.15 0.82 144 17.21 <0.0001 0.140 Females 0.311 2.33 0.15 0.83 109 15.47 <0.0001 0.093 Lanzarote All – – – – 9 – – – Males – – – – 6 – – – Females – – – – 3 – – – Gran Canaria All −0.283 2.93* 0,14 0.88 136 21.07 <0.0001 0.109 Males −0.295 2.97* 0.23 0.87 56 12.73 <0.0001 0.139 Females 0.067 2.57 0.18 0.85 77 14.04 <0.0001 0.073 Tenerife All 0.385 2.28 0.20 0.82 64 11.24 <0.0001 0.103 Males 0.512 2.19 0.21 0.84 45 10.34 <0.0001 0.088 Females 1.234 1.43 0.43 0.65 17 3.28 0.005 0.103 La Gomera All −0.076 2.64* 0.21 0.95 18 12.36 <0.0001 0.099 Males −0.084 2.66* 0.35 0.94 10 7.55 <0.0001 0.112 Females −0.069 2.61* 0.28 0.97 8 9.35 <0.0001 0.095 La Palma All 0.122 2.59* 0.33 0.82 32 7.82 <0.0001 0.130 Males 0.040 2.68* 0.32 0.86 27 8.30 <0.0001 0.124 Females – – – – 5 – – – *Not different from 3. Legends:a,...;b,...;SE(b),...;r,...;n,...;t,...;P,...;SE,standarderror. ANOVA, H=16.84; N =300; P<0.002 during February-April; and H=65.62, N =339, P<0.001, during June-July; fig. 7; tables V and VI). Males and females showed a significant change in depth distribution according the two surveys (Mann-Whitney Utest, Z=2.38, P=0.017, N1 =28, TABLE III Sex-ratio of the deep-water red crab, Chaceon affinis (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894) caught at the insular fishing grounds of the Canary Archipelago (χ2analysis; *P<0.05) Island N◦males N◦females Sex-ratio χ2 Total 144 110 1 : 0.76 4.55* Lanzarote 6 3 1 : 0.50 1 Gran Canaria 56 77 1 : 1.37 3.32 Tenerife 45 17 1 : 0.37 12.65* La Gomera 10 8 1 : 0.80 0.22 La Palma 27 5 1 : 0.19 15.13* UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 16 (887-940) 16 J. J. CASTRO ET AL. 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 The length and weight ranges of Chaceon affinis found during this study agree with those given by López-Abellán et al. (2002) for the Canaries. However, these are higher than those observed by Pinho et al. (2001) in the Azores. The unimodal size frequency in both males and females appears to be the general pattern of the Geryonidae, and according to López-Abellán et al. (2002) in females this length distribution may be due to a short period of moulting in immature specimens and longer such periods after maturing. The population of Chaceon affinis in the Canary Islands shows a negative allometric growth pattern, although in some cases, and particularly in males, it could be considered isometric as previously observed by Fernández-Vergaz et al. (2000), but was in contradiction with the positive allometric growth reported by Pinho et al. (2001) in the Azores. Nevertheless, the observed differences in the growth pattern of this species between sexes, grounds, and with data reported by other authors, probably result from environmental local differences, and may also indicate that samples sizes are really too small to gain an adequate knowledge of these aspects. Moreover, although the segregation of sexes with depth seems to be a characteristic of Geryonidae and Pinho et al. (1998) found that males were more abundant than females at depths greater than 800 m off the Canary Islands and Azores, we have not observed that phenomenon. Bathymetric distribution appears to be dynamic as suggested by Hastie (1995), and could change during an annual cycle as a result of migrations to shallow water due to reproduction, movements that explain the differences found between the two fishing surveys carried out by us. However, ovigerous females were observed during both surveys and distributed along almost the whole range of depths reported for this species. So, spawning could probably take places at different depths, depending on other characteristics of the habitat (temperature, oxygen concentration, etc.). Nevertheless, we should keep in mind that at the Canary Islands the real (horizontal) distances between the shallower and deeper areas of their habitat range are not long, due to the steep slopes of these oceanic islands. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance given by Dr. Eduardo Almonacid, Dra. Ana I. Fazeres Malhiero, Dr. José L. Hernández-López, Gonzalo Santana, and Ricardo Cuscó (ULPGC). This research has been conducted in the framework of the “Experimental Prospecting of Fishery Resources in Deep Waters off the Canary Islands”, funded by the Ministry of Fisheries of the Canary Islands Government. Aarón Trujillo Santana has a scholarship from the Cabildo Insular of Gran Canaria in the research program on topics of interest to the island of Gran Canaria, and Ángela Caballero-Alfonso has been granted by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. UNCORRECTED PROOF CRUS [1.58] 2010/05/17 11:09; Prn:14/09/2010; 10:02 F:crus2862.tex; p. 17 (940-1042) BIOLOGY OF CHACEON AFFINIS AT THE CANARY IS. 17 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 REFERENCES BALGUERÍAS,E.,V.FERNÁNDEZ-VERGAZ &L.J.LÓPEZ-ABELLÁN, 1996. Aspects of the biology of the deep-sea crab (Chaceon affinis Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 1894) from Canary Islands (Crustacea: Decapoda: Geryonidae). Abstract of the II Symposium on the Fauna and Flora of the Atlantic Islands, February 12-16, 1996: 1-73. (Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria). 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