Fecundity of the Fiddler Crab Uca tangeri (Eydoux, 1835) (Decapoda: Ocypodidae) in the Mangrove Ecosystem of the Parc National du Delta du Saloum (PNDS) in Senegal

The study examined the fecundity of a Uca tangeri population with in the Parc National du Delta du Saloum (PNDS) in Senegal. Ovigerous females (30 individuals) were captured monthly from August 2023 to July 2024 and the following parameters were recorded: carapace width (CW), abdomen width (AW), weight (P) and number of eggs (EN). Fecundity ranged from 4600 (CW = 19.1) to 77867 (CW = 24.16) eggs per female, with an average of 21,655 ± 15,317 eggs. The relationship between female size and fecundity showed an isometric growth, with larger females not producing a significantly higher number of eggs. The average perimeter of the eggs was 0.753 ± 0.087, while their surface area was 0.040 ± 0.008 and their average diameter 0.247 ±0.028. Egg size increased progressively and significantly during embryonic development, from 0.040 mm2 at stage I to 0.042 mm2 at stage III. The results obtained are contributions to a better understanding of the reproductive potential and mechanisms of the fiddler crab, Uca tangeri.