Morphological Characters and Proximate Composition of Crab, Callinectes amnicola from Tropical Marine Environment

Abstract

The study investigated the growth patterns, sex ratios, mean condition factor and proximate composition of the body fluid of male and female blue crab, Callinectes amnicola from tropical marine habitat. This is with a view to providing information for effective management of C. amnicola as a fish resource. One hundred and ninety-five (195) crabs were purchased on landing at the Akodo Marine Beach in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, Lagos State, Nigeria. The length-weight relationships and the Condition factor were determined. Growth was a negative allometry in C. amnicola with females exhibiting a comparatively better growth pattern. A total of 87 males and 108 females were encountered, given sex ratio of 0.8 male: 1 female. There was no significant difference between male and female sex ratios (t = -1.219; P= 0.310; df = 3) from the expected and hypothetical 1 male: 1 female ratio. The moisture content was higher than other nutritional contents recorded in the body fluid of C. amnicola. In conclusion, C. amnicola demonstrated favourable growth patterns and minimal variation in sex ratio la contains sufficient nutrients and minerals that are beneficial to humans as food and in farmed animal nutrition.