Figure 3 - uploaded by George Shedrawi
Content may be subject to copyright.
A female coconut crab from Naqelelevu Island, Cakaudrove Province, Fiji, with noticeable pleopods. (Image: ©Epeli Loganimoce, IMR USP)
Context in source publication
Context 1
... however, very few hunters witnessed the process of SPC Fisheries Newsletter #162 -May-August 2020 copulation. Also, mating was inferred from changes in the behaviour of the majority of larger sized individuals around the third quarter of the year. Most hunters did not know that the pleopods are used to differentiate female from male coconut crabs (Fig. 3), but they knew that the occurrence of two large individuals close to each other is most likely an initial step towards the mating and copulation process. Hunters reported that two adults in close proximity usually results in fighting and territorial defence; and when two large individuals are in close proximity without these fight ...
Citations
The coconut crab Birgus latro (L., 1767), also known as the robber crab, is an endangered terrestrial anomuran facing extinction due to accelerating overexploitation and habitat destruction. It is therefore crucial to develop methods of its culture in captivity. Generally, an artificial diet is beneficial and important to formulate a specific content of decapod crustaceans feed. Thus, we decided to test different food treatments including pellets and coconut to feed adults of B. latro in captivity from December 2018 to May 2019. The survival rate of coconut crabs was high in all tested groups (80–100 %). The potential use of artificial feeding in stocked B. latro feeding was confirmed. Thus we recommend future experiments to ascertain which food formula will be the best one for the species’ culture in conservation programs.
