By shravan kumar sharma CIFE, Mumbai

Cephalothorax: the anterior rigid part of the crab made up of six head segments and 8 thoracic segments, all fused together

Carapace :
entire body covered dorsally by a tough cuticle -carapace or shell
B G B

composed of fused tergites anterior portion of carapace in between the orbits front The dorsal surface of carapace divisible into several regions such as gastric, cardiac, intestinal and branchial.

C I

Sternites:
Cephalothorax is covered ventrally by sternites. Its lines of fusion are very prominent. Sternites extend into the body as foldsapodemes

1. Movable finger 2. Manus 3. Carpus 4. Merus 5. Ischium 6. Frontal region 7. Orbital region 8. Eyestalk 9. Epigastric region 10. Propogastric region

11. Hepatic region 12. Mesogastric region 13. Metagastric region 14. Cardiac region 15. Anterolateral margin 16. Posterolateral margin 17. Intestinal region 18. Posterior margin 19. Abdomen 20. Protobranchial region 21. Mesobranchial region 22. Metabranchial region 23. Propodus 24. Dactylus A . Cheliped B. Immovable finger C - E. Ambulatory legs

1. Dactylus 2. Propodus 3. Carpus 4. Merus 5. Ischium 6. Basis 7. Coxa 8. Thoracic 9. Abdomen 10. Sub-hepatic region 11. Pterygostomian region 12. Merus of third maxilliped 13. Ischium of third maxilliped 14. Third maxilliped 15. Manus a. Sixth sternite b. Fifth sternite c. Fourth sternite d. third sternite

Pleuron - exoskeleton that covers the lateral

sides of carapace

Pleural fold- margin of the carapace

extending on either side.

Appendages:
three types cephalic appendages

thoracic appendages
abdominal appendages

Cephalic appendages
- antennule or first antenna, second antenna, mandible, first maxilla and second maxilla

Scaphognathite - Exposed second maxilla

develop into a lateral flap-like structure

Thoracic appendages
- maxillipeds, chelipeds and walking legs

Maxillipeds :
three pairs Biramous bearing epipods which serve to clean the gills

Chelipeds (first leg):

uniramous, paired appendages consist of coxa, basis, ischium, arm or merus, wrist or carpus and the chela which is made up of palm (hand or manus) upper finger - dactylus or movable finger lower one - fixed finger (thumb or immovable finger or pollex).

Walking legs :
4 pairs all are long, pointed, uniramous and jointed structure Each leg is made up of seven segments, viz. coxa, basis, ischium, merus, carpus, propodus and dactylus.

Infraorder Brachyura:

1. Dorso-ventrally flattened cephalothorax

2. Antennae very small 3. Presence of small abdomen and uropod

DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERS OF DIFFERENT FAMILIES OF BRACHYURA

Family- Portunidae
fifth pair of legs- modified for swimming and

usually has the propodite and dactylus; Singularly broad thin and paddle - like.

Diagnostic characters of different commercially important species

Genus - Scylla De Haan,1833

Carapace broad, transverse, somewhat convex with an

almost even surface front cut into four teeth postero-lateral margin shorter than the antero-lateral Basal joint of antenna short, broad flagellum quite long ,antennules folding transversely Chelipeds massive; wrist and palm smooth,without ridges Legs stout, moderately compressed; merus and carpus of the last pair shortened and broadened, dactylus typically foliaceous for swimming; Male abdomen triangular, five segmented, 3rd-5th terga fused, first tergum much concealed below the carapace

Scylla serrata (Forskal, 1755):

Antero-lateral border of carapace cut into 9 sharp

acuminate teeth of nearly equal size Arm of the larger cheliped adorned with 3 spines on the anterior border Leg joints unarmed One stout spine on outer angle of carpus of cheliped.

Scylla serrata

Scylla tranquebarica (Fabricius)

Frontal lobe pointed more and arranged in

same row
Two stout spines on outer angle of carpus of

cheliped

Scylla tranquibarica

Carapace usually broad and depressed or little convex front cut into three to six usually four teeth antero-lateral borders cut into nine teeth (including the outer orbital angle) of which the 9th may be enlarged or not antennules fold transversely chelipeds longer,usually much longer than any of the legs and massive legs compressed abdomen of the male is five-jointed.

Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Whitish or pale bluish irregular spots present

on the carapace the granulation on the dorsal surface is very prominent a spine present at the distal end(far end) of the posterior border of the arm of chelipeds

Portunus pelagicus

Portunus pelagicus

Portunus sanguinolentus Herbst

No spine on posterior border of merus of

cheliped Carapace marked with three large blood red spots

Portunus sanguinolentus

GENUS CHARYDIS

Anterolateral border of carapace oblique and arched ,cut into six teeth No spine on posterior border of arm of chelipeds.

Charybdis feriatus
First tooth of anterolateral borders obliquely truncate on outer border Palm with four sharp spine in all Anterolateral teeth broad at base,first anterior lobe bifid Three spines on anterior borders of arm A cross on the carapace.

Charybdis feriatus

REFERENCES

Venkatramani. V.K. , Jawahar.P., A manual on shellfish taxonomy,Tamilnadu Veternary and Animal Sciences, University, 2005 MANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS - A MANUAL FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF BIODIVERSITY -CRUSTACEA (CRAB) S. K. Chakraborty, Gurudas Chakravarty, Sunirmal Giri, S. Dam Roy and George J. P.
MARINE BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT - Edited by N.G.Menon and C.S.G. Pillai

http://www.indg.in

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