Seasonal and interpopulational variability in fecundity, egg size, and elemental composition (CHN) of eggs and larvae in a grapsoid crab, Chasmagnathus granulatus

Table 5 Chasmagnathus granulatus eggs

Variable	Factor	df	Statistic value	Critic value	P
C (%)	Population (beginning)	25	t = −0.73	2.05	0.46
	Population (end)	18	t = 0.12	2.1	0.9
	Time	52	t = 4.82	2.0	<0.0001*
N (%)	Population (beginning)	24	t = −1.01	2.06	0.32
	Population (end)	10	t = −0.23	2.22	0.81
	Time	51	t = −0.2	1.6	0.84
Energy (J/mg)	Population (beginning)	24	t = −0.7	2.06	0.46
	Population (end)	18	t = 0.12	2.1	0.9
	Time	51	t = 4.84	2.0	<0.0001*
C/N	Population	52	F = 0.38	5.35	0.54
	Time	52	F = 36.86	5.35	<0.0001*
	Population·time	52	F = 0.005	5.35	0.94

Differences in the proportion of carbon (C%), nitrogen (N%), energy/dry mass, and C/N ratio of eggs between populations (Mar Chiquita and San Antonio) and times of season (beginning versus end of reproductive seasons; data from beginning pooled from seasons 2002–2003 and 2003–2004). These differences were evaluated by a test of equality of means with heterogeneous variances (carbon, nitrogen, and energy/dry mass) and by a two-way ANOVA (C/N ratio)
df degrees of freedom of error; estimated as weighted average degrees of freedom in tests of equality of means with heterogeneous variances
*Significant values of P (α = 0.05)

ISSN: 1438-3888