Induce mating trials and observation of mating process for crossbreeding of two mud crab species Scylla olivacea (Herbst, 1796) and Scylla tranquebarica (Fabricius, 1798)

Abstract

This study was done in order to investigate the mating success between two mud crab species in Malaysia which is S. olivacea and S. tranquebarica , determine the duration of mating occur after intermoult male been place together with new moulted female, determine the duration of mating process activity and also to record of mating process. Both brood stocks were bought from the market place at Setiu Wetland. When female crabs in premoult condition, it will transfer into the culture tank with the intermoult male to face crossbreeding process. This crossbreeding was divided into two type which are intraspecies crossbreeding and interspecies crossbreeding. As a result, the percentage of success mating for intraspecies crossbreeding S. olivacea was 60%, while for S . tranquebarica there were 50% was succeed to mate. On the other side, the percentages of success mating for interspecies crossbreeding was 40% pairs for male S. olivacea and female S. tranquebarica while 30% was succeed for interspecies crossbreeding for male S. tranquebarica and female S. olivacea. From the observation mud crab species mates during the intermoult male find the moulted and female mud crab species did not show apparent courtship behaviour.