Abstract:
The samples of fertilized eggs of Tachypleus gigas were taken from The Horseshoe
Crab Aquaculture Farm, Sedili Kecil, Johor. The eggs were brought back to hatchery
and wait until they hatched into trilobite larvae. The larvae were reared through the
first tailed stage under five different temperature (10, 20, 25, 30 and 35 ° C) with three
replicate for each treatment. The percentage of survival and the percentage of
moulting were observed. Low temperature recorded the low survival. Rapid increase
in mortality can be observed in treatment 10° C. The high water temperature was not
favourable for the survival and growth oflarvae. Larvae in the treatment of 25 and 30°
C do not change from the start to the end of the experiment and the survival nearly
I 00%. Horseshoe crabs must moult for growing, same as other a1ihropods. ln current
study, the moulting process only occurs in the treatment of 25 and 30° C. The larvae
can tolerate with wide range of temperature.
