Diversity, Distribution and Checklist of Brachyuran Crabs Inhabiting Along the Mumbai and Konkan Coast of Maharashtra, India

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 1, 20 - 40, 31.03.2025

Mayura Khot , Ashok Jaiswar , Asim Pal

https://doi.org/10.33714/masteb.1601894

Abstract

The present paper includes a diversity of brachyuran crabs inhabiting along intertidal and shallow subtidal regions of Mumbai and Konkan coasts of Maharashtra, India. During a survey from 2014 to 2016, a total of 55 species of crabs, belonging to 45 genera and 22 families, were recorded from these areas. According to the Shannon Weiner index (H’), the maximum diversity was recorded around Mumbai rocky shores, having mixed types of microhabitats. The values of Shannon-Weiner index (H’) varied between 2.3 and 3.0 for Mumbai as well as Jaitapur, whereas, evenness varied between 0.86 and 0.97, while richness fluctuated between 3.2 and 5.9. Seasonal observations revealed maximum diversity in pre monsoon and post monsoon at Marine Drive shore. The present study also reports total 10 species with 4 new records from intertidal regions of west coast of India (Xenophthalmus wolfii, Ozius rugulosus, Achaeus cf spinosus, Leptodius cf sanguines); 5 new distributional records for Maharashtra state (Ozius tuberculosus, Ocypode brevicornis, Atergatis laevigatus, Pilumnopeus convexsus, Scylla olivacea); and 1 first record of genus from Indian Ocean (Anomalifrons garthii). The results of present study can be used as baseline data for conservation and management of these ecologically sensitive fauna.

Keywords

Brachyura, Checklist, Diversity, India, Maharashtra, Pollution

Ethical Statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. For this type of study, formal consent is not required. The study is self-funded by first author as no financial support was received. All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article. The authors confirm that no generative AI was used in writing this manuscript or creating images, tables, or graphics.

Thanks

Authors are grateful to Director, ICAR CIFE for providing facilities to conduct the study. Authors are also thankful to Chairman and staff of Department of Applied Zoology, Mangalore University for their support and guidance during the work. Sincere thanks to Dr. B.F. Chhapgar, a renowned carcinologist for his valuable suggestions in identity of species. Help was also taken from experts Dr. Peter K. L. Ng, Director of Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore and Dr. Jose Christopher Mendoza, Curator of Crustacea, & Managing Editor (Raffles Bulletin of Zoology) and special thanks to Mr. Pradip Patade, water sport expert and fisherman community of Girgaon Chowpatty for allowing me to collect specimens from his fishing net.

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