The absence of hard structures which register age on crustaceans requires the use of length-based methods for age determination, and modal progression analysis (MPA) to estimate growth. In this paper, individual growth of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 was studied in the laboratory and in the field, and the growth curves estimated were compared. Crabs studied in the laboratory were obtained from field sampling and kept under controlled conditions (temperature = 25±2°C, and salinity = 20±5), on a water recirculating system. These animals were molt staged and measured (carapace width, taken from the last antherolateral spines in millimeters) before and after molting. Crabs used for field growth analysis were collected between 2002 and 2004 in predetermined sampling sites by using otter-trawl and renfro nets. Bertalanffy growth model was used to estimate the growth parameters of the crabs. Maximum carapace lengths were used as the estimative of the asymptotic length (157.78 mm for females and 162.71 mm for males). Growth parameters obtained from laboratory experiments were k=0.001/day; t o=-1.53; longevity= 3117 days for males and k=0.002/day; t o=-29.55; longevity= 2795 days for females. Growth parameters and longevity estimates for the field collected animals were k=0.004/day; t o=-4.23; 1267 days for males and k=0.004/day; t o=-3.71; 1260 days for females. Significant difference was observed among laboratory and field crabs, suggesting a different growth rate accordingly to the surrounding environment.
Portunidae; Callinectes sapidus; growth; Patos Lagoon estuary
