Occurrence of shell disease and carapace abnormalities on natural population of Neohelice granulata (Crustacea: Varunidae) from a tropical mangrove forest, Brazil

In this note, we registered the occurrence of shell diseases and carapace abnormalities on a natural population of Neohelice granulata from a tropical mangrove forest, in South America, as a part of a wide ecological study. The occurrence of 32 adult crabs (1.77%) with black or brown spotted shell, or deformities on carapace was registered, collected in the autumn and winter seasons. The low prevalence of shell diseases and abnormalities in this natural population is considered normal and probably caused by injuries occurred during the moult period of crabs.