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Muchos procesos biológicos tales como los comportamientos reproductivos y migratorios se han asociado con los ciclos de la luna. Con el objetivo de determinar la relación entre las capturas de langosta espinosa Panulirus argus (Decapoda: Palinuridae) y el ciclo lunar, en la zona del Golfo de Batabanó, se correlacionaron los niveles de iluminación nocturna del ciclo lunar (INT) con la captura diaria por barco (CDB) durante siete meses lunares correspondientes al período de pesca del 2002. Los datos de captura provinieron de las tres empresas pesqueras que realizan su actividad en la zona del Golfo de Batabanó. La relación entre el ciclo lunar y las capturas de langostas fue examinada mediante varios procedimientos estadísticos. Los primeros gráficos realizados, cualitativos, mostraron que no existe relación entre las tasas de captura y el ciclo lunar. Los coeficientes de Spearman calculados, modularmente menores que 0.1 en todos los casos, demostraron cuantitativamente que no existe correlación entre las mencionadas variables. La prueba de Kruskal-Wallis detectó diferencias sólo en una de las tres áreas estudiadas. Las correlaciones cruzadas no detectaron significación en ninguna de las zonas, con coeficientes de correlación cruzada modularmente inferiores a 0.1. A diferencia de lo reportado por otros autores, las capturas de P. argus y el ciclo lunar no presentan correlación significativa en el Golfo de Batabanó.

Many biological processes such as reproductive and migratory behaviours have been associated with moon cycles. In this study, the nocturnal light levels associated with lunar cycle (INT) were correlated with daily catch rate of lobster P. argus, during seven lunar months of 2002 fishing period, to determine a possible relationship between these variables. The lobster catches were obtained from three fishing companies that develop their activities in the Gulf of Batabanó: EPICOL that fishes in Coloma area; PESCAHABANA in Batabanó area and PESCAISLA in Isla area. Daily catch per boat (CDB) was used as a measurement of daily catch variations (catch rate). The correlation was analyzed showing it in chronological graphs based on average of CDB per lunar phases, comparing lobster catch rate per lunar phases -with the Kruskal-Wallis test-. Spearman rank correlation coefficient and cross correlation techniques were also applied. Similarities between lobster catch rate and the lunar cycle were not found. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was modularly smaller than 0.1 in all cases and demonstrated quantitatively that correlation between CDB and INT does not exist. Kruskal-Wallis test detected differences only in Batabanó area but not when making the analyses for the whole Gulf of Batabanó. Finally, the cross correlations do not detected significance in any zone, as well. It is concluded that, in opposition to what other authors have reported, the catch rates of P. argus and the lunar cycle did not show significant correlation in the Gulf of Batabanó. This trend was independent of the fishing art, which varied according to the time of the year that was analyzed. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (1): 207-216. Epub 2011 March 01. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]