{"title":"Sediment preference of coastal horseshoe crab (Tachypleus gigas) in an artificial spawning ground","authors":"Anis Syahira Abdul Halim, Mhd Ikhwanuddin, Noraznawati Ismail, Mariam Taib, Faridah Mohamad","doi":"10.1071/mf23111","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<strong> Context</strong><p>Spawning beaches are important for coastal horseshoe crabs, <i>Tachypleus gigas</i> (Müller, 1785), to sustain their population. Over time, <i>T. gigas</i> natural spawning area has gradually diminished owing to human and natural causes. <i>T. gigas</i> is being artificially bred in captivity to enhance its population.</p><strong> Aims</strong><p>The study aims to determine the <i>T. gigas</i> spawning preference for three different sediment sizes.</p><strong> Methods</strong><p>Spawning experiments were carried out in an indoor concrete tank representing an artificial spawning ground, consisting of three combinations of sediment sizes: coarse, medium and fine. The spawning of 45 pairs of <i>T. gigas</i> samples was observed within 3 h, the nests were marked and excavated on the next day. The number of eggs per nest was counted individually after being cleaned.</p><strong> Key results</strong><p>The 45 pairs of <i>T. gigas</i> produced 27,266–30,859 eggs. Among these, on the basis of the number of nests produced, <i>T. gigas</i> prefers to spawn in medium to coarse sediment with a particle-size range of 0.25–1.00 mm.</p><strong> Conclusions</strong><p>Our findings indicated that medium to coarse sediments are optimal for <i>T. gigas</i> spawning in artificial spawning grounds, because they could produce a high number of nests and eggs, increasing the number of juveniles released.</p><strong> Implications</strong><p>These results could be used as a baseline for the conservation management of <i>T. gigas</i> in captivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":18209,"journal":{"name":"Marine and Freshwater Research","volume":"75 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Marine and Freshwater Research","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1071/mf23111","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"FISHERIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Context
Spawning beaches are important for coastal horseshoe crabs, Tachypleus gigas (Müller, 1785), to sustain their population. Over time, T. gigas natural spawning area has gradually diminished owing to human and natural causes. T. gigas is being artificially bred in captivity to enhance its population.
Aims
The study aims to determine the T. gigas spawning preference for three different sediment sizes.
Methods
Spawning experiments were carried out in an indoor concrete tank representing an artificial spawning ground, consisting of three combinations of sediment sizes: coarse, medium and fine. The spawning of 45 pairs of T. gigas samples was observed within 3 h, the nests were marked and excavated on the next day. The number of eggs per nest was counted individually after being cleaned.
Key results
The 45 pairs of T. gigas produced 27,266–30,859 eggs. Among these, on the basis of the number of nests produced, T. gigas prefers to spawn in medium to coarse sediment with a particle-size range of 0.25–1.00 mm.
Conclusions
Our findings indicated that medium to coarse sediments are optimal for T. gigas spawning in artificial spawning grounds, because they could produce a high number of nests and eggs, increasing the number of juveniles released.
Implications
These results could be used as a baseline for the conservation management of T. gigas in captivity.
期刊介绍:
Marine and Freshwater Research is an international and interdisciplinary journal publishing contributions on all aquatic environments. The journal’s content addresses broad conceptual questions and investigations about the ecology and management of aquatic environments. Environments range from groundwaters, wetlands and streams to estuaries, rocky shores, reefs and the open ocean. Subject areas include, but are not limited to: aquatic ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling; biology; ecology; biogeochemistry; biogeography and phylogeography; hydrology; limnology; oceanography; toxicology; conservation and management; and ecosystem services. Contributions that are interdisciplinary and of wide interest and consider the social-ecological and institutional issues associated with managing marine and freshwater ecosystems are welcomed.
Marine and Freshwater Research is a valuable resource for researchers in industry and academia, resource managers, environmental consultants, students and amateurs who are interested in any aspect of the aquatic sciences.
Marine and Freshwater Research is published with the endorsement of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Academy of Science.