Biology and hatchery of mangrove crabs Scylla spp.

This manual includes the biology of crab (Scylla serrata, S. tranquebarica, and S. olivacea), and describes principles and procedures for spawning the mature crabs and rearing the zoea to ‘fly’ size crabs. It focuses on the hatchery rearing of S. serrata as the farming of this species is more economically viable than the two other species. The techniques may be modified depending on the conditions or problems encountered in a specific site.Most of the larval rearing results were based on the projects 9217 (Development of Improved Mud Crab Culture Systems in the Philippines and Australia) funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, ICA4-CT-2001-10022 (Culture and Management of Scylla spp.) supported by the European Commission (INCO-DC) and National Mud Crab R&D Program funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology.ForewordIntroductionBiology of Scylla spp.Crab anatomyTaxonomy and identificationLife history and habitatFood and feedingMolting and regenerationSexual maturityMatingSpawningEmbryonic development and hatchingLarval developmentHatchery OperationsSetting up the hatcheryPreparation of tanks and seawaterProduction of natural foodManagement of broodstockLarval rearingCulture of megalopaHarvesting, packing, and transport of crabletsCommon problems and possible solutionsEconomics of mangrove crab hatcheryReferencesAcknowledgementAppendixGlossary3rd Ed