Abstract:
A study was conducted on the distribution and density of horseshoe crabs in three
sampling sites at the east coast of the Peninsular Malaysia. The sampling sites selected
for this study were Tok Bali, Setiu and Kuantan. Two species of horseshoe· crab were
found at the sampling sites, such as Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda or the mangrove
horseshoe crab and Tachypleus gigas or the coastal horseshoe crab. Throughout the
sampling period, a total of 70 C. rotundicauda and 19 of T gigas were found from the
three sampling site. Analysis of variance between the two species at their respective sites
was overall not highly significant (P =
0.07). However variation between sexes was
found to be highly significant (P=
0.02). Both species co-exist in each sampling sites
except for Tok Bali where only C. rotundicauda were found. An analysis of the
morphometry of the two sexes females are generally larger then males. However
statistically speaking the variation in morphometry between the males and females was
found to be statistically insignificant in the case of length and width (P=
0.14 and P=
0.16
respectively). In the case of weight a slight significant difference was observed between
the males and females with the females being statistically heavier then the males
(P=
0.06). No eggs were obtained from any of the sampling sites so density of eggs could
not be determined
