Comparison of horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus gigas) morphometry between different populations using allometric analysis

Md Razak, Mohd Razali and Kassim, Zaleha (2018) Comparison of horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus gigas) morphometry between different populations using allometric analysis. AACL Bioflux,, 11 (1). pp. 143-157. ISSN 1844-8143 E-ISSN 1844-9166

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Abstract

Studies on horseshoe crabs morphometrics found that they have maintained their descendent features from the Late Ordovician Period to present day. In the present study, we applied the allometric study to evaluate the correlation of body growth in three populations of the Asian horseshoe crab (Tachypleus gigas) collected from Balok (Pahang), Cherok Paloh (Pahang) and Merlimau (Melaka), Malaysia, coastal areas. The aims of this study are to examine the logarithmic growth of horseshoe crabs between three populations by analyzing the variation of their body weight (BW), carapace length (CL), carapace width (CW) and telson length (TEL) to determine their growth and maturity. Their body parameters were analyzed by the allometric method. There are no significant differences between males weight in all populations (p>0.05). However, females from Merlimau were smallest (BW: 519.7±66.3 g; CL: 21.1±1.1 cm; CW: 19.6±0.9 cm) among the three populations; Balok (BW: 928.5±123.2 g; CL: 23.8±1.0 cm; CW: 23.3±1.0 cm) and Cherok Paloh (BW: 939.8±125.7 g; CL: 25.4±1.5 cm; CW: 25.1±1.6 cm). Males and females of T. gigas in Merlimau could be classified as less matured among Balok and Cherok Paloh, since the increment of CL/CW were higher than their BW. Further study on T. gigas allometry along Malaysian coastal area is needed to understand the variation growth between populations. The study could be an alarming condition to a particular T. gigas population.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Additional Information:	7204/62578
Uncontrolled Keywords:	body weight, carapace length, telson length, maturity, logarithmic growth.
Subjects:	Q Science > QL Zoology
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Science
Depositing User:	Associate Prof. Dr. Zaleha Kassim
Date Deposited:	02 Apr 2018 09:46
Last Modified:	27 Feb 2019 15:47
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/62578

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