Varsity successfully breeds mangrove crabs

Seafood project: The first batch of mangrove crabs, at four month old, being reared at the Shrimp Hatchery, Borneo Marine Institue, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

KOTA KINABALU: A group of experts from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Borneo Marine Research Institute have succesfully bred its first batch of mangrove crabs from their hatchery.

The successful batch, believed to be the first of its kind in the state, is set to boost the production of mangrove crabs, which are currently very much sought after as seafood.

Institute director Prof Dr Rossita Shapawi said their breakthrough in the seedling production came after more than three years of research.

“We wanted to initiate seedling production for the mangrove crabs due to increasing customer demand,” she said.

She said the current supply was mostly harvested naturally and there is a decline in the numbers of mangrove crabs, especially its females.

Market demand of mangrove crabs and soft shell crabs are also factors for this decline.

“So now, with our success in breeding the mangrove crab species, making sure that they mature well before harvest will change this scenario,” Prof Rossita said.

To date, the hatchery managed to produce millions of larvae with an average survival rate of 5%.

A female crab can produce up to 1.3 million eggs at one time, but only a small number survive due to diseases and predators.

They now have some 10,000 crablets.

This milestone is significant because Sabah was listed as the biggest supplier of mangrove crabs in the country in 2015.

Lead researcher Dr Anita Yong said much time and effort was needed to breed and promote reproduction and the survival of crablets.

They also had to face challenges such as dealing with disease infestations and cannabalism, which can cause mass mortality of the broodstock.

She said the pathogens that cause the infections have been identified and preventive steps have been taken to improve the broodstock and larval health management.

It is the institute’s hope to train breeders and traders in mangrove crab production following this success.

They are also excited to collaborate with the industry in magrove crab commercial rearing.