Effect of Sediment Type on Growth and Survival of Juvenile Horseshoe Crabs (Tachypleus tridentatus)

Abstract

In China, horseshoe crabs have economic and biomedical value. However, the abundance of horseshoe crabs has declined markedly because of uncontrolled exploitation and habitat loss. Artificial breeding and release of hatchery reared horseshoe crabs might be a useful method for protecting and recovering the horseshoe crab population. To determine successful methods for artificial propagation, juvenile horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus tridentatus) were experimentally maintained in simulated sea environments using sand and mud. The experimental results show that juveniles grow and survive better in the presence of sand compared to mud, and juveniles living in sea water with sediment (either sand or mud) will grow and survive better than those living in sea water without sediment. These results provide some guidelines for artificial propagation of juvenile horseshoe crabs.