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Sediment Temperature Impact on Population Structure and Dynamics of the Crab Austruca iranica Pretzmann, 1971 (Crustacea: Ocypodidae) in Subtropical Mangroves of the Persian Gulf

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Abstract

Ocypodid crabs inhabit intertidal sandy/muddy flats of tropical and sub-tropical mangroves. Iran has three species of the genus Austruca. In contrast to A. sindensis and A. lactea, almost nothing is known about the population dynamics and its driving factors in Austruca iranica. Thus, population ecology and reproductive biology of A. iranica were studied in relation to sediment temperature and rainfall in a sub-tropical Iranian mangrove forest over a period of 13 months. Crab density and Gonado Somatic Index (GSI) were significantly correlated with sediment temperature (r2 = 0.87, p ≤ 0.05). Reproduction was restricted to spring and summer and ovigerous females appeared when both sediment temperature and rainfall had their maximum values. Rainfall triggered crab reproduction, but did not significantly correlate with crab density. Symptotic carapace width (L∞) and growth constant (k) were 16.9 mm and 1.0 yr. −1 in females (n = 251), and 18.5 mm and 0.9 yr. −1 in males (n = 325), respectively. Size frequency distributions in both females and males had a common asymmetrical bi-modal pattern with two cohorts. Total mortality was higher in females (2.74) than in males (2.29). The overall sex ratio did not differ significantly from the expected 1:1 proportion (χ2 = 20.50, p > 0.05). Size at the onset of maturity was 10.2 mm in females. In comparison to other literature on ocypodid crab species, this study revealed that A. iranica is a relatively slow growing crab, with low fecundity and mortality rates, and with a relatively long life expectancy of about two years. The results of this research are a key for establishing a management plan to conserve the population of A. iranica along the Iranian coasts.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank F. Seraji, H. Raesi, Mr. Parshan, and local people of Qeshm Island for their assistance in the field works and sampling. We thank R. Naderloo for confirmation of the crab scientific name change. We would also like to thank the anonymous referees for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Zoology-Crustaceans, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Hanieh Saeedi

  2. FB 15 Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Diversity and Evolution, Biologicum, Campus Riedberg, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Hanieh Saeedi

  3. Fisheries Biology Department, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran

    Ehsan Kamrani

  4. Faculty of Marine Biology, Hormozgan University, PO Box 3995, Bandar Abbas, Iran

    Ehsan Kamrani

  5. Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Fahrenheitstr. 6, D-28359, Bremen, Germany

    Inga Nordhaus

  6. School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Court, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, UK

    Karen Diele

  7. St Abbs Marine Station, St Abbs, TD14 5QF, UK

    Karen Diele

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  1. Hanieh Saeedi
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Correspondence to Hanieh Saeedi.

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Saeedi, H., Kamrani, E., Nordhaus, I. et al. Sediment Temperature Impact on Population Structure and Dynamics of the Crab Austruca iranica Pretzmann, 1971 (Crustacea: Ocypodidae) in Subtropical Mangroves of the Persian Gulf. Wetlands 38, 539–549 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-018-0998-5

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