Population structure of four species of porcellanid crabs (Decapoda: Anomura) occurring on the coast of Karachi

Abstract

The population structure of 4 species of porcellanid crabs, including 2 species of Petrolisthes (P. boscii and P. rufescens) and 2 of Pachycheles (P. tomentosus and P. natalensis) was investigated. Sex ratios deviated from the expected 1:1 distribution in some size classes of the 4 species, but conformed in general to this pattern on the entire population basis. Probability curves developed from sex ratios differ markedly in shape and slope and resemble Wenner's (1972) anomalous and intermediate types. Ovigerous females of Petrolisthes boscii occurred for 9 months, of P. rufescens for 11 months; those of Pachycheles tomentosus and P. natalensis occurred throughout the year. In every size class, a considerably higher number of female Pachycheles tomentosus and P. natalensis became ovigerous than in Petrolisthes boscii and P. rufescens. Size-frequency distributions of the 4 species were unimodal, indicating that recruitment to crab populations was gradual. Juveniles of Petrolisthes boscii and P. rufescens were most abundant towards the commencement of the southwest monsoon season, in June–July; juveniles of Pachycheles tomentosus and P. natalensis were most abundant during the premonsoon month of March. Thirteen percent of Pachycheles natalensis were infected by a bopyrid parasite; the bopyrid also infected 5.2% of Petrolisthes rufescens and 0.6% of P. boscii. The latter two species were also infected by a rhizocephalan parasite, the infection rates being inverse to those by the bopyrid, i.e., 0.3 and 6.4%, respectively.