Classification of Three Crab Morphs in the Genus Scylla Using Morphometric Analysis
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Kasetsart J. (Nat. Sci.) 40 : 958 - 970 (2006) Classification of Three Crab Morphs in the Genus Scylla using Morphometric Analysis Pradit Sangthong* and Amnuay Jondeung ABSTRACT One hundred and fifty-four male mud crabs in the genus Scylla were collected from different coastal areas of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, including Trat, Ranong and Surat Thani Provinces. They were classified into three morphs, “black”, “white” and “violet” based on their phenotypes and body colors. Fifty-one morphometric characters were observed and used for canonical variate analysis (CVA) and Mahalanobis’ Distance analysis. CVA results showed completely separation of three morph clusters with true correlation to its phenotypes and without overlapping among different clusters. Morphological differences among crab morphs were confirmed by considerably high value of Mahalanobis’ Distance in the range of 53.283 – 60.806 but those within morphs were in the range of 6.922 – 15.027. Both CVA and Mahalanobis’ Distance as well as their morphological data suggested that these three crab morphs of “black” “white” and “violet” should be classified into three distinct species of S. olivacea, S. paramamosain and S. tranquebarica, respectively. Key words: Scylla, mud crab, Canonical Variate Analysis, Mahalanobis’ Distance analysis, phenetic tree INTRODUCTION CVA, Mahalanobis’ Distance analysis and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) Mud crabs in the genus Scylla inhabit to determine morphological and genetic variation brackish water and are widely distributed in Indo- within “black” morph (Scylla olivacea), which West Pacific regions (Ng, 1998). In Thailand, these collected from Trat, Ranong and Surat Thani crabs are found both at the Gulf of Thailand and Provinces of Thailand and also some in Myanmar. the Andaman Sea coast. Considering the fishery Both morphological and genetic data suggested areas and economic value, mud crabs are very Ranong and Myanmar “black” was closest group important fishery resources but recently over and Trat “black” was closely related to Ranong/ fishing of mud crab resulted in the drastic decline Myanmar “black” group more than Surat Thani of its population (Tiensongrusmee and “black”. This pattern of relationship within “black” Pratoomchat, 2002). indicated that geographic distance and geographic Attempts have been made to prepare barrier play a minor role in crab identification and basic data for mud crab conservation and stock grouping because Trat was far from South-West management. Pongthana et al. (2004) utilized (Ranong and Myanmar) more than South-East Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand. * Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected] Received date : 19/07/06 Accepted date : 24/11/06 Kasetsart J. (Nat. Sci.) 40(4) 959 (Surat Thani). Moreover, Trat and South-West area MATERIALS AND METHODS were separated by south of Thailand terrain. This result, however, based on only “black” morph but Crab sampling areas did not include the other two groups of “white” Three different phenotypes of mud crabs and “green” as described by Tiensongrusmee and locally called “Poo Dum”, “Poo Thong-Lang” and Pratoomchat (2002). “Poo Thong-Long” (Tiensongrusmee and The classification of mud crab in the Pratoomchat, 2002) were assigned based on their genus Scylla in Thailand has been controversial body colors to “black”, white” and “green” morph and inconclusive for a long time. Suvatti (1950) (which assigned as “violet” in this study), has reported only one species, Scylla serrata, respectively (Table 1). One hundred and fifty-four found in Thailand but Naiyanetr (1998) indicated mature male mud crabs (60 “black”, 58 “white” the existence of two species of mud crabs, S. and 36 “violet”) of approximate 200 g body weight serrata and S. tranquebarica, in this country. were directly purchased from local crab fishermen Keenan et al. (1998), on the other hand, collected in each coastal area of Trat (eastern), Ranong mud crab specimens from the Red Sea and (southwest) and Surat Thani (western gulf) throughout the Indo-Pacific region, six from all Provinces, representing the diverse and true these specimens were from Thailand, and geographic origins of mud crab populations in classified the crabs into four species, S. serrata, Thailand (Table 1). S. tranquebarica, S. olivacea and S. paramamosain. However, Tiensongrusmee and Morphometric characters and data analysis Pratoomchat (2002) based their report on external Fifty-one morphometric characters morphology and suggested that there should be (Table 2) including nineteen characters on only three species of the genus Scylla, S. serrata, carapace, eleven characters on each chelae, three S. oceanica and S. tranquebarica, in Thailand. characters on the third right periopod, five Although most previous taxonomic characters on right swimming leg, body depth and reports of mud crabs in Thailand were based on abdominal length, were measured to the nearest external morphology, a few reports have applied 0.02 mm using calipers (Mitutoyo Co., Japan). The statistical and molecular analysis to identify data were used for canonical variate analysis variations among crab morphs in the genus Scylla (CVA) and Mahalanobis’ Distance analysis. CVA but most of the specimens were selectively was performed to classify crab sample based on collected from the eastern of Thailand (Chayarat quantitative variables (morphometric characters). and Kaew-ridh, 1984; Klinbunga et al., 2000). In brief, CVA creates new variables, calling Therefore, wide sampling areas covering their canonical variable (Z), by using special linear natural habitats would be an effective approach to combination of the original variables. Therefore, alleviate the taxonomic confusion of mud crabs canonical variables represent all of the in Thailand. The aims of this paper were to assess discriminated data from a set of original variables. variation of morphometric characters among crab The linear discriminant function of CVA are morphs using CVA and Mahalanobis’ Distance derived from a linear equation, analysis, and to elucidate the distinctions and Z = a1x1 + a2x2 + a3x3+… + apxp, pattern of relationship among and within crab where Z is a canonical variable; a1, a2, a3…, ap morphs. These results could lead to a more reliable are the set of canonical discriminant function classification of the mud crabs in the genus Scylla coefficients; x1, x2, x3, …, xp are the set of original which based on morphometric analysis. variables. The numbers of canonical variables are 960 Kasetsart J. (Nat. Sci.) 40(4) (k-1), where k is the number of sample groups. First two canonical variables (CVA1 and CVA2) = 20) = = 20) = 20) = 16) = = 20) = 20) = = 18) = 20) iolet” term N N N N N N of each sample were plotted onto canonical axes N N to display differences among sample groups ( (Jobson, 1992). CVA analyses were analyzed using SPSS for windows version 12.0 statisticalsoftware ( ” (SPSS Inc., Chicago). Two levels of variations were examined from each samplingsite from each for mud crab classification. At the first level, CVA was calculated using morphometric data of crab specimens, which identified as “black”, “white” or “violet” morph, to indicate variation among morphs. For the second level, “black”, “white” and “violet” morph were further classified based on their geographic origins to eight morph-geographic RanongRanong( “black” Ranong ( “white” Ranong Ranong ( “violet” Ranong Surat ThaniSurat ( “black” Thani Surat Surat ThaniSurat ( Thani “white” Surat groups, i.e., Trat “black”, Trat “white”, Trat “ (2000) and Tiensongrusmee and Pratoomchat (2002). “V Sampling areasSampling specimens of Number violet”; Ranong “black”, Ranong “white”, Ranong “violet”; Surat Thani “black” and Surat Thani “ et al. white” group (no “violet” was found in Surat Thani). Their morphometric data were also analyzed by CVA to display the variation within crab morphs. 36 Trat ( “violet” Trat Distances among crab groups were calculated using Mahalanobis’ Distance analysis and STATISTICA version 6.0 (StatSoft, Inc., USA). Phenetic trees were constructed by Unweighted Pair-Group Method Arithmetic Average (UPGMA) using NEIGHBOR program in PHYLIP package version 3.63 (Felsenstein, 2004). RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS CVA of morphometric characters Thani. Morphometric character variations among three crab morphs were determined. Statistical analyses including means, standard deviations (SD) and range of fifty-one Lateral site of propodus: reddish shade Lateral site of propodus: dark green spots on yellowish green ground color morphometric characters are shown in Table 3. green Carapace: Lateral side of propodus: purplish shade Measured data of each mud crab specimen were used as raw data for CVA. The results illustrated Morph characteristics, number of specimen and sampling locations. a,b the significant difference among three crab morphs “Violet” “Violet” morph was synonymous with “Green” morph used by Chayarat and Kaew-ridh (1984), Klinbunga Surat morph was not found in “Violet” emphasized a distinct color purplish shade on lateralside of propodus. emphasized a distinct color purplish shade on White Carapace:lightgreen 58 Trat “white” Trat Violet Black Carapace: black or dark brown 60 Trat“black Trat (Wilks’ lambda = 0.016, F (32, 272) = 59.644; P < MorphsBody colors specimens Number of Table 1 Table a b Table 2 Fifty-one morphometric characters of crab specimens used for CVA and Mahalanobis’ Distance determination. NO. Morphometric