Decapoda Crustaceans at the South China Sea Repository and Reference Centre in Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

This study provides a list of decapod crustacean families from Bidong Island retrieved from the collections of South China Sea Repository and Reference Centre (RRC), Institute of Oceanography and Environment. Three infraorders are present based on the collections, namely Anomura, Brachyura, and Caridea, and are constituted by 15 families. Based on the collections, the most abundant family within the infraorder Anomura is mainly composed of the porcelain crabs Porcellanidae (28%). Of the three infraorders, nine families were listed for the Brachyura (the true crabs) with the highest representation from the coral crabs Xanthidae (14%) and swimming crabs Portunidae (11%). Five families that were recorded for the infraorder Caridae, (caridean shrimps) based on dominance are Alpheidae, Pasiphaeidae, Thoridae, Palaemonidae, and Pandalidae. This infraorder of shrimp contains most of the commercial shrimp species from Family Palaemonidae and Pandalidae. This research is one of the many efforts to provide a baseline study for future identifications on decapods of Malaysia that can aid in future research with regards to conservation, population genetics, phylogenetics, biogeography and ecological understanding. This available inventory from RRC well serves as a platform for accessibility of specimens that has the perspective of being new species and new records, deeming it necessary for future investigations.KeywordsAnomuraBidong IslandFamilial checklistMalaysiaTerengganu