merged

Bivalve Preferences as Food by Horseshoe Crab Tachypleus gigas
in Captivity
Nor Amyra Fazira binti Mohammad Effendy
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Faridah Bt. Mohamad
Bachelor of Applied Science
(Biodiversity Conservation and Management)
School of Marine and Environmental Sciences
University Malaysia Terengganu
Horseshoe crab is a benthic organism where they feed almost any food
including bivalves. However, few studies had been reported on Tachypleus
gigas. Releasing T. gigas in Setiu Wetland may cause the competition between
the horseshoe crab and the local people as they compete for the same food
source. This study was conducted to determine the food preferences of T. gigas
on four different bivalves collected from Setiu (with and without shell) which
are oyster, mud clam, mussel and cockle. Individuals of T. gigas preferred
mussel even though other types of bivalves were offered at the same time for
both intact live bivalves and when only the meat of bivalves given in the same
tank. It was observed that T. gigas preference on mussel may be due to the
soft texture and also coincide with the mussel higher mortality that leads to
easy access by the horseshoe crab.
1722 | UMT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY 2018