The present paper investigates the occurrence and abundance of

brachyuran larvae in the Manora Channel during August- December 1993. The fortnightly planktonic sampling was carried out in Manora Channel which is bordered by mangroves, during day time from surface and subsurface waters at shallow depth using Bongo net of 300 micron mesh size. Analysis of samples revealed presence of brachyuran larvae of 12 species belonging to 6 families. Of these 4 species are confirmed: Serenella indica, Dotilla blanfordi,

Metopograpsus thukuhar and Clistocoeloma lanatum, 2 provisionally identified species are: Pilumnus ?karachiensis and Pinnotheres ?pisum, 2 species are identified upto generic level: Philyra sp. and Pinnotheres sp., and 1 Ocypodid species and 3 Xanthid species are identified upto family level.

This study based on identification, occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae in the area, also gives percentage composition of brachyuran larvae collected during 1993, in the Manora Channel

Ghory, Farhana S.

Siddiqui, Feroz A.

Aquatic Commons

Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences, Vol. 11(1&2), 27-36, 2002. 
OCCURRENCE AND ABUNDANCE OF BRACHYURAN LARVAE 
IN THE MANORA CHANNEL (KARACHI, 
PAKISTAN) DURING 1993 
Farhana S. Ghory and Feroz A. Siddiqui 
Marine Reference Collection and Resource Centre, University of Karachi, 
Karachi-7 5270, Pakistan. 
ABSTRACT: The present paper investigates the occurrence and abundance of 
brachyuran larvae in the Manora Channel during August- December 1993. The fortnightly 
planktonic sampling was carried out in Manora Channel which is bordered by mangroves, 
during day time from surface and subsurface waters at shallow depth using Bongo net of 
300 micron mesh size. 
Analysis of samples revealed presence of brachyuran larvae of 12 species belonging 
to 6 families. Of these 4 species are confirmed: Serenella indica, Dotilla blanfordi, 
Metopograpsus thukuhar and Clistocoeloma lanatum, 2 provisionally identified species 
are: Pilumnus ?karachiensis and Pinnotheres ?pisum, 2 species are identified upto generic 
level: Philyra sp. and Pinnotheres sp., and 1 Ocypodid species and 3 Xanthid species are 
identified upto family level. 
This study based on identification, occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae in 
the area, also gives percentage composition of brachyuran larvae collected during 1993, 
in the Manora Channel. 
KEY WORDS: Brachyuran larvae, occurrence, abundance, Manora Channel, Pakistan. 
INTRODUCTION 
The Brachyura is the largest group of Crustacea, containing more than 4,500 species 
(Kaestner, 1970), of these 210 species of brachyuran crabs are reported by Tirmizi and 
Kazmi (1996) from Pakistani waters. 
The brachyuran larvae spend their life as plankton in two forms: the zoeae and 
megalopae. The larvae from planktonic samples are not easily identified upto specific 
level. Their specific identification are made by comparing them with laboratory reared 
larvae of known parents and previous knowledge of work done mostly in this region on 
the brachyuran larvae which is based on the studies done by Gurney (1938); Atkins 
(1954); Chhapgar (1955); Raja Bai, (1960); Hashmi (1969, 1970a,b); Baba and Miyata 
(1971); Kakati and Sankolli (1975); Lim and Tan (1981); Amir, (1989, M.Phil thesis, 
unpublished); Ingle (1992); Siddiqui and Tirmizi (1992); Bano, (1999, M.Phil thesis, 
unpublished), Mustaquim et al., (2001), Ghory, (2002, M.Phil thesis, unpublished). 
The present study deals with identification, occurrence and abundance and 
percentage composition of brachyuran larvae which were obtained through monthly 
collections of zooplankton taken from surface water and subsurface water in the Manora 
Channel. 
28 Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences, VoL 11(1&2), 2002. 
58' 59' 67•E 
49' 
49' 
47' 47' 
5s' 59' 67"E 
Fig. 1. Map showing collection sites. 
Ghory and Siddiqui: Occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae 29 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 
The planktonic sampling was carried out in Manora Channel (Long. 66° 59' E and 
Lat. 24° 48' N ) which is bordered by mangroves (Fig. 1). The present materials of 
brachyuran larvae were collected fortnightly in 1993 (September- December except the 
single collection of August) during day time, four tows at two different stations (A and 
B): AI (surface sample), All (subsurface sample), BI (subsurface sample), BII (surface 
sample) at shallow depth 15' -20' using Bongo net of 300 micron mesh size equipped with 
a flowmeter, in 10 minute tows. The salinity (ppt) was measured with an optical hand 
refractometer. Air and seawater temperatures were measured by a simple hand held 
thermometer and pH measured by a pH meter (PAL model TI95-26539). The samples 
were preserved in 5% formaldehyde. Brachyuran larvae were sorted under binocular 
microscope and transferred to 70% alcohol. Identification of these larvae was made upto 
possible taxon level. It was carried out by comparison with previously laboratory reared 
larvae of known parents and available literature. Larvae were deposited in the Marine 
Reference Collection and Resource Centre, University of Karachi. 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
The total number of 5,838 brachyuran larvae (zoeae and megalopae) are obtained 
from the planktonic samples, they are referable to 6 families pertaining to 7 genera and 12 
species. Of these 4 species are confirmed and the 2 species are provisionally identified. 
There are 2 species identified upto generic level, and 1 zoea of Ocypodid species and 3 
megalopae of Xanthid species are identified only upto family level, as given in the 
following list: 
Family Leucosiidae Samouelle, 1819 
Subfamily Leucosiinae Miers, 1866 
Genus Philyra Leach, 1817 
Philyra sp. 
Family Xanthidae MacLeay, 1838 
Species A 
Species B 
Species C 
Family Pilumnidae Samouelle, 1819 
Subfamily Piluminae Alcock, 1898 
Genus Pilumnus Leach, 1815 
Pilumnus ?karachiensis Deb, 1987 
Family Pinnotheridae de Haan, 1833 
Subfamily Pinnotherinae de Haan, 1833 
Genus Pinnotheres Bose, 1802 
Pinnotheres ?pisum (Linnaeus, 1767) 
Pinnotheres sp. 
30 Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences, Vol. 11(1&2), 2002. 
Family Ocypodidae Rafinesque, 1815 
Ocypodid sp. 
Subfamily Camptand1iinae Stimpson, 1858 
Genus Serenella Manning & Holthuis, 1981 
Serenella indica (Alcock, 1900) 
Subfamily Scopimerinae Alcock, 1900 
Genus Dotilla de Haan, 1835 
Dotilla blanfordi Alcock, 1900 
Family Grapsidae MacLeay, 1838 
Subfamily Grapsinae MacLeay,1838 
Genus Metopograpsus H. Milne Edwards, 1853 
Metopograpsus thukuhar (Owen, 1839) 
Subfamily Sesarminae Dana, 1851 
Genus Clistocoeloma (A.M. Edwards, 1873) 
Clistocoeloma lanatum (Alcock, 1900) 
There is no complete larval series of any of the collected species. Philyra sp. is 
represented by zoeal stages I and II, Pilumnus ?karachiensis by zoeal stage I, family 
Xanthidae is represented by only megalopal stages, Pinnotheres ?pisum by only zoeal 
stage II, Pinnotheres sp. by zoeal stage I, Ocypodid sp., Serenella indica and Dotilla 
blanfordi by zoeal stages I and II, Metopograpsus thukuhar and Clistocoeloma lanatum 
only by zoeal stage I. 
The occuiTence and numerical counts of brachyuran larvae are shown in table 1. 
Monthly variation in number of brachyuran larvae of the species composition are shown 
in figures 2 and 3. pH, salinity and temperature were almost same in Aug. to Dec. but 
number of brachyuran larvae were different because of this we can say that it is due to 
biological activities not because of physico-chemical factors. The abundance of larvae of 
different species are shown in figure 4. Dotilla blanfordi is the most dominant species 
representing 43.06% of the total larvae, followed by Pilumnus ?karachiensis (20.07% ), 
Clistocoeloma lanatwn (18.88%), Metopograpsus thukuhar (13.04%), Serenella indica 
(2.30%) and Ocypodid sp. and Pinnotheres ?pisum ( 1.20% and 1.18 o/o larvae 
respectively). The remaining larvae of the Xanthid sp. A, B and C, Philyra sp. and 
Pinnotheres sp. occurred in very small percentage, as low as 0.02- 0.11 %. 
During this study we have not found larvae of any of the Portunidae, inspite of that 
adult portunids crabs are most abundant in mangroves especially the mud crab Scylla 
. serrata. This species may have different salinity optima for larval growth and survival. 
The ovigerous females of this species migrate to offshore waters, to hatch eggs (Keenan 
et al, 1998). 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
The authors are grateful to Prof. Dr. Quddusi B. Kazmi, Director, Marine Reference 
Collection and Resource Centre, University of Karachi for providing research facilities. 
The planktonic samples of brachyuran larvae were obtained through the financial 
Ta
bl
e 
1. 
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32 
Ill! 
c: 
~ 
·c::; 
(I.) 
Q. 
en 
-0 
0 
2 
A. 
(/) 
c: 
OJ 
.5 
Ui 
(I.) 
c. 
Ill 
%-
0 
ci 
z 
B. 
C. 
Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences, VoL U(l&2), 2002. 
1.2 
Philyra sp. 
1 
0.8 
0.6 
0.4 
0.2 
0 
-0.2 
Aug Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 
4.8 • Xanthid sp. A 
'" Xanthid sp. B 
3.8 
..a..Xanthid sp. C 
2.8 
1.8 
0.8 
-0.2 
Aug Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 
Ill! 500 
c 
<!) 400 
E 
0 300· 
<!) 
~ 200 
.... 
0 100 
0 
2 0 
Months 
Pilumnus ?karachiensis 
Aug Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 
Months 
Fig. 2. Monthly variation in number of species of brachyuran larvae composition of A. 
Philyra sp., B. Xanthid sp. A, B and C and C. Pilumnus ?karachiensis during 
August- December 1993. 
Ghory and Siddiqui: Occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae 33 
15.8 • Pimwtheres ?pisum 
!Ill 13.8 c 
.._Pimwtheres sp. ~ 11.8 
·c:; 9.8 
8. 7.8 
00 5.8 
..... 
0 3.8 
0 1.8 z 
-0.2 
Aug Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 
Months 
A 
llll 1200 .. Ocypodid sp. 
c 1000 ~ ill Serenella indica E 800 
·u 600 .om. Dotilla blanfordi ~ 
Q. 400 00 
..... 200 0 
0 0 
z 
-200 ' 
Aug Sept Oct Nov. Dec. 
Months 
B. 
700 
.._ Metopograpsus thukuhar llll 
c 600 
~ 500 ill Clistocoeloma Janatun1 E 
·u 400 
~ 300 a. 
(#) 200 
..... 
0 100 
ci 0 z 
-100 
Aug Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 
Months 
c. 
Fig. 3. Monthly variation in number of species of brachyuran larvae composition of A. 
Pinnotheres ?pisum and Pinnotheres sp., B. Ocypodid sp., Serenella indica, and 
Dotilla blanfordi, C. Metopograpsus thukuhar and Clistocoeloma lanatunz 
during August- D~cember 1993. 
34 Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences, VoL 11(1&2), 2002. 
Philyra sp. 
Pilumnus 
? karachiensis 
Xanthid sp. A 
Xanthid sp. 8 
~ Xanthid sp. C 
3 
(I) 
0 
=+l 
(/) 
Pinnotheres 
?pisum 
"'0 Pinnotheres sp. 
(I) 
n 
-· ro 
(/) 
Ocypodid sp. 
Serene!! a 
indica 
Dotilla b!anfordi 
Metopograpsus 
thukuhar 
Clistocoeloma 
lanatum 
Ghory and Siddiqui: Occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae 35 
assistance of ONR (US Office of Naval Research) project. 
The authors are also grateful to Miss Razia Naushaba, Taxonomist, Marine Reference 
Collection and Resource Centre, for the help in graph preparation. 
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Amir, N. 1989. Abundance and distribution of some brachyuran larvae (Decapoda, 
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Chhapgar, B.F. 1955. On the life history of Philyra globosa (Dacapoda: Brachyura). 
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36 Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences, Vol. 11(1&2), 2002. 
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Marine Biology. 7(1&2): 299-327. 
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Brachyrhyncha Part II (Portunidae ). MRC Publication. : 1-72. 
(Received: 10 September, 2001) 


Occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae in the Manora Channel (Karachi, Pakistan) during 1993

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Occurrence and abundance of brachyuran larvae in the Manora Channel (Karachi, Pakistan) during 1993

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