Development of a monitoring method for the growth of the juvenile horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus at the Tsuyazaki mudflat in Fukuoka, Japan

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  • 福岡県津屋崎干潟におけるカブトガニ幼生の成長とモニタリング手法の開発
  • フクオカケン ツヤザキ ヒガタ ニ オケル カブトガニ ヨウセイ ノ セイチョウ ト モニタリング シュホウ ノ カイハツ

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Abstract

We investigated the growth of the juvenile horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus, an endangered species, at the Tsuyazaki mudflat in Fukuoka, Japan, from September 2003 to October 2006. In doing so, we developed a monitoring method for this endangered species. Growth was estimated by carapace width (CW) frequency analysis. The CW frequency was separated into four instars with a CW range of 17.00〜62.00mm. Each unimodal distribution area showed the CW ranges from 5 to 8 instars. The mean CW of juvenile horseshoe crabs increased 1.35, 1.33 and 1.31 times with each molting process. These values were higher than the growth rate under the rearing conditions from a previous study. If captured individuals were divided into age groups according to the CW ranges obtained from this study, it would be possible to monitor the increase and decrease of the threatened wild population. The endangered horseshoe crab could be an important flagship species in the conservation of the coastal ecosystem because diverse coastal environments are necessary for its life cycle. Therefore, to protect the endangered horseshoe crab species and its natural habitat or biodiversity, the citizen-based monitoring of horseshoe crabs should continue in this field.

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