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Profiling the Gut Content of Horseshoe Crabs (Tachypleus gigas)
from Johor
Nurhaidah binti Jamaludin
Supervisor:
Dr Faridah Mohamad
Dr Nurul Huda Ahmad Ishak
Bachelor of Applied Science
(Biodiversity Conservation and Management)
School of Marine and Environmental Sciences
Tachypleus gigas is one of the Asian horseshoe crab that can be found at the
coastal waters of east and west of Peninsular Malaysia. This study profiles the
gut content of horseshoe crabs (T. gigas) from Johor. A total of 23 gut samples
were collected and preserved for identification of gut content to the possible
taxon. Many food items were found in the gut contents where five of them
identified as bivalve, gastropod, shell fragments, scaphopoda and crustacean,
together with a few unidentified biological materials. Among these biological
materials, crustacean was found in the least sample. Sand particles were found
in all samples and is expected to play an important role in horseshoe crab
digestion. These food items found in gut contents of T. gigas from Johor
indicates the common food eaten by T. gigas in Malaysia, including the ones
from Setiu Wetland. For further and more precise identification of micro
materials, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-performance liquid
chromatography could be implemented.
1744 | UMT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY 2018