Aayvagam an International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research | Volume No. 2 | Issue No. 9 | October 2014 4

Diversity of Crabs in Mallipattinam and Memesal South East Coast of Tamilnadu P. Prabhu, U. Balasubramanian and Purusothaman Department of Zoology and Biotechnology, A.V.V. M Sri Pushpam College (Autonomus)Poondi – 613503, District, .

Abstract

The crab diversity was studied from Mallipattnam and Memesal coastal area of Tamil Nadu, . It has been recorded 32 species, 15 genera and 8 families in mallipattinam. In memesal coast, 22 species 12 genera and 8 families were recorded. The most diverse families are portunidae (13 species in Mallipattinam, 10 species in Memesal), calappaidae (6 species in mallipattinam, 3 species in memesal) and Leucosidae (3 species in Mallipattinam, 2 species in memesal). Dori ppidae, masiae and xanthidae have each 2 species in Mallipattinam, whereas in memesal have each two species of dorippidae, Leucosidae and majidae. Five species (Dorippe dorcipes, calappa Lophos, Philyra globosa, protunus pelogicus, charbdis feriatus) in mallipattinam coast and one species (portunes sanguinoilentes) in Memesal coast are dominant. Demania soaberrima, charybdis feriatus are abundant two species in both the coast. Keywards: Brachyuran crabs, Mallipattinam and Memesal coast, portunidae, philyra globasa

Introduction

Most of the brachyuran crabs are economically important and they fill the local protein demand and the medicinal values are much discussed. A few of them are considered commercially important but they play a dominant role in the marine food wed. These crabs consist of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and trace metals which form a food for other consumer, (Kuraeuter, 1976). The objective of this study is to document crab diversity of Mallipattinam and Memesal coast of Tamil Nadu and to develop a tool for conservation of aquatic environments in this region.

Material and methods

Crabs were collected every month for a period of one year i.e. from October 2011 to September 2012 at two different coasts of Mallipattinam and Memesal. The crabs were brought to the laboratory and washed with seawater, preserved in 70% alchoal, species identification was done by using identification keys provided by Sakai (1967) and Kathirvel (2009).

Results and discussion

During the present study period, totally 33 species were identified in 2 different stations at Mallipattinam and Memesal coast which were represented by families and 17 genera (Table -1). The families are portunidae> calappide>xanthidae>Dromidae.

At station one, 30 species of crabs were observed. Which comprise of 13 species belonging to family portunidae with 4 Genera 6 species to family callppidae with 3 genera, 3 species to family xanthidae and dortppidae and majida with genera each 2. The families Dorippidae and ocypodidae have one speices in each and during the period of study. They order of species in the different families in portunidae> callappidae> Leucosidae xanthidae, Dorippidae and mjidae> Dormidae and ocypodidae.

At station two, 23 species of crabs were recorded which belong to 10 species of family portunidae with 3 genera 3 species of family calappidae with 2 genera, species of Doryipidae and leucosidae and majidae with 1 genera. The families Dorippidae and xanthidae and ocypodidae have one species in each and during the period of study. The order of species in the different families are portunidae>calappidae> Dorippidae, Leucosidae> majidae> Dromidae>xanthidae and ocypodidae.

A Total of 20 species were found to be common in both the stations, in which 10 species belong to family portunidae with 2 genera.

ISSN (Online): 2321 – 5259 | ISSN (Print): 2321 – 5739

Aayvagam an International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research | Volume No. 2 | Issue No. 9 | October 2014 5

Table 1. Name of the crabs in species wise distribution Species Station – 1 Station – 2 DROMIDAE Dromida dehanni + + DORIPPIDAE Dorippe Dorcipes + + D.Frascone + + CLAPPIDAE Calappa lophos + + C.Philargius + - C.Pustulosa + - C.Gallus + - Maltuta plahipus + + M.Luraris + + LEUCOSIDAE Leucosia pubescens + + Philyra Globosa + + P.Scabriuscula + - MAJDAE Doclea gracilipes + + D.Ovis + + XANTHIDAE Galene bispinosa - + Demania cultripes + - Actaea calculoso + - OCYPODIAE Ocypodie platytarsus + - Dotilla myctiroides + - PORTUNIDAE Scylla serrata + + S.tranquebarica + + Portunus pelagicus + + P.Sanguinolentes + + Charybds feriatus + + C.natator + + C.lucifera + + C.veriegata + + C.granulata + + C.Smithi + - C.affinis + - Thalamita crenata + -

In the present study 30 species, 15 genera and 8 families in Mallipattinam and 22 species, 15 genera and 8 families in Memesal coast were recorded (Table 1 ). Sixty eight species portunidae family reported in shallow marine and estuarine water from southern Bahia coast of Brazil (Almeida et al, (2010). Bertini et al. (2004) recorded 79 brachyuran species representing 9 super families (4 Dromioidoa, 1 Homoloidea, 2 calappoidea, 5 Leucosioidea, 20 majoidea, 7 parthenopoidea, 17 portunoidea, 18 xanthoidea and 5 pinnotherroidea) and 41 genera in sublittoral bottom on the northern coast of sea of Paulo state in Brazil. Biodiversity is essential for stabilization of ecosystem, protection of overall environmental quality for understanding intrinsic worth of all species on the earth (Enrlich and Wilson, 1991).

In the present study, diversity of brachyuran crabs in Mallipattinam coast was high represented by 8 families, 12 genera and 33 species. Among these 13 species Leucosidae each 2 species Dorippidae, majidae, xanthidae and each one species in families Dromidae, ocypodiae, among these some brachyurn crabs,

ISSN (Online): 2321 – 5259 | ISSN (Print): 2321 – 5739

Aayvagam an International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research | Volume No. 2 | Issue No. 9 | October 2014 6 commonly important species. The sampling station -1 represents maximum (31 species) diversity of species. Minimum diversity has been recorded at station – 2 (23 species) probably due to under fishing activities in this area. From the investigations, portunidae crabs were found to be dominant (47%) in all the station and minimum (1%) of Dromidae Dehanni and Dottilla myctiroides at Station – 1.

Environmental changes, over exploitation and habitat loss are among the major causes of species loss. It is not known what fraction of this loss is form marine environment a station owing to a lack of systematic coverage of all faunal and floral class with the prominence placed often on economically important groups, or on habitats of deep-sea water one out of two species collected could be new to science. These results confirm that the Mallipattinam coast is rich in diversity of commercially valuable crab species.

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ISSN (Online): 2321 – 5259 | ISSN (Print): 2321 – 5739