Morphometrics and Length-Weight Relationship in the Blue Swimmer Crab, Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758)ud(Decapoda, Brachyura) from the Mandapam Coast, India

摘要

In this study, the interrelationships between various morphometric characters, viz., carapaceudwidth and length and chelar propodus length and height in males, as well as carapace width andudlength and abdominal width and length in females, were estimated using a total of 980 crabs,udPortunus pelagicus. The carapace width/length — weight relationship was studied in both sexesudon a total of 1188 crabs using the allometric growth equation of Von Bertalanffy. The allometricudrelationships between the characters of this set suggest that most relationships are positive andudhighly significant. The ‘b’ values for carapace width-weight in males and females were 3.607 andud3.293, respectively, and for carapace length-weight they were 3.049 and 2.774, respectively. Theudresults show a significant deviation from an isometric growth pattern. An analysis of covarianceudindicates that there is a significant difference between sexes with respect to the carapace widthweightudrelationship