Study on the Feeding Habit of the Japanese Blue Crab, Portunus trituberculatus (Miers)

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  • ガザミPortunus trituberculatus(Miers)の摂餌生態に関する研究
  • ガザミ Portunus trituberculatus Miers

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Abstract

In June-October 1980, the stomach contents and the fullness were examined for the Japanese blue crab, Portunus trituberculatus (Miers) from larva to young to clarify the feeding habit at the tideland and the neighbor sea extending in front of Minoshima in Yukuhashi City situated in north-eastern Kyushu, Japan. The stomach fullness was calculated by B×100/A. A and B show the volume of stomach and its contents, respectively. Both volumes were estimated by eye measurement. The Shidamabushi-dana in which the crab at free larval stage shelters was set in this waters and the specimens were collected with a landing net in this Shidamabushi-dana. The young crabs settled on the bottom of the tideland and the neighbor shallow water were collected by a dredge and gill nets. Most of the stomach contents in the free larval stage of the blue crab were occupied by Crustacea such as Gammarus, Balanus larva, Copepoda and Brachyura. The stomach contents in the settled stage on the sea bottom were occupied by shellfish and polychaeta. Species composition in these stomach contents was similar to the fauna in habitat of the blue crab. The selection for the feeding appeared with growth of the crab. The activity rhythms in feeding were recognized by the analysis of the stomach fullness of the blue crab taken from the tideland. They also were confirmed in the feeding experiment in which the stomach fullness was examined at three hour intervals after giving Tapes as the feed to the crab at the pond of the Experimental Station. The stomach fullness of the crab was high at the flood and low at the ebb tide in day and night. It seems that the rhythms of feeding is related to the ebb and flood. Further, it was clarified by the experiment in the laboratory that the feed in the stomach was digested in about six hours.

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