Reproductive biology of mud crabs (Scylla olivacea) collected from Paikgachha, Khulna, Bangladesh
Keywords:
Mud crabs; Scylla olivacea; maturity stage; gonadosomatic indexAbstract
Objective: This study was carried out to estimate the sex ratio, maturity size, gonadosomatic index (GSI), and peak breeding season of mud crabs. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected randomly from the estuary and river of the study area. Sampling was carried out monthly from April to September at every full moon during one high tide. A total number of 240 specimens were sampled, where 53 individuals were hermaphrodite. The crabs were shifted alive to the biology and histology lab for detailed biological study. Sex was determined. Male and female sex ratio and breeding season were also investigated. Results: The male:female ratio was 1:0.96 and the ovarian development was categorized into five stages based on internal observations, viz. immature (stage I), underdeveloped (stage II), early developed (stage III), late developed (stage IV), and mature (stage V). The maturity percentages were 37%, 19%, 13%, 11%, and 20%, respectively. 50% maturation was estimated at 82.36 mm internal carapace width (ICW). The highest mean GSI value was 7.97 ± 3.03. The mature stage was found in all the working periods. This shows that females have activated ovaries in all the working months, and the species are continuous breeders. A higher frequency of vitellogenic ovary and higher GSI value were found in September. The maximum GSI value was found in the size group 70–79 mm. Conclusion: The study shows that the capture from the wild sources of mud crabs without any regulation can threaten the population structure. The capture of female mud crabs should be more than 82.36 mm ICW, which will help conserve and protect young crabs.
J. Adv. Vet. Anim. Res., 8(1): 44-50, Mar 2021
Downloads
23
30
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 Prianka Paul, Md Sherazul Islam, Sumona Khatun, Joyanta Bir, Antara Ghosh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).