Local Ecological Knowledge and Biology of the Land Crab Cardisoma hirtipes (Decapoda: Gecarcinidae) at West Nggela, Solomon Islands

A rich body of local knowledge on the behavior and reproductive biology of the land crab Cardisoma hirtipes (called Kakau Tina in the Ngge1a language) is reported here from West Nggela, Solomon Islands. Aspects of West Nggela local knowledge about C. hirtipes were verified by observation, reports, and studies of the reproductive condition of crabs during the 19951996 wet season at West Nggela. Local ecological knowledge appeared to inform harvesting strategies and was congruent with scientific knowledge about the crabs. A behavior known as "dipping," displayed by C. hirtipes before mating and ovulation, is well known to the Ngge1a people, but has not been reported in the biological literature for this species. Nggela people harvest C. hirtipes in large numbers when the crabs are dipping and can accurately predict the diel, lunar, and seasonal timing of this event. Cardisoma carnifex (Tubala in Nggela), which occurs in smaller numbers at West Ngge1a, plays a relatively minor role in the subsistence economy, and comparatively little local knowledge on its behavior and breeding biology was found