Abstract
ABSTRACT Horseshoe crabs may act as mobile substrata for communities of sessile marine organisms on intertidal mudflats. In Singapore, the mangrove horseshoe crabs, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda (Latreille, 1802) were surveyed for the diversity of epibiotic macrofauna. The most common epibiota observed was the barnacles belonging to Amphibalanus spp., along with other organisms: slipper snails Crepidula walshi and anemones (species undetermined). We also report the first account of an invasive American brackish mussel, Mytella strigata on C. rotundicauda in Singapore. Adult horseshoe crabs, particularly the males, have the highest prevalence and abundance of epibionts. A distinct distribution of epibionts was observed across horseshoe crab gender, age class and between the dorsal and ventral planes. Barnacles were found to be the dominant fouling on dorsal planes, while M. strigata and slipper snails occurred mainly on the ventral planes.
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