Distribution of horseshoe crab in different coastal habitat of East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

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