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Science, Marine and Environment

BRACHYURAN COMMUNITIES IN CORAL RUBBLE HABITATS AT BIDONG
ISLAND, TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA

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Thivyalaxmi Mahendaran , Amirrudin Ahmad 1,2*
1
Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030
Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
2 Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Universiti Malaysia
Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.

*Corresponding author: amirrudin@umt.edu.my

STUDENT RESEARCH DAY 2021 Therefore, this study investigates the diversity of Brachyuran communities in shallow and STUDENT RESEARCH DAY 2021
Studies of Brachyuran in the coral rubble habitats of Peninsular Malaysia are still limited.

v
deep waters of coral rubble habitats at Pantai Pasir Cina, Bidong Island. Due to the
tropical storm Pabuk, the coral reef areas of Pantai Pasir Cina are destructed and the
coral region appears as coral rubbles today. Coral rubbles were collected from shallow
(5 m) and deep waters (7-10 m) by SCUBA diving and the coral crunching method was
carried out to collect Brachyuran samples between the coral interstices. A total of 722
individuals of Brachyuran crabs were captured belonging to seven family, 16 genera and
31 species was recorded; 481 individuals 25 species were recorded in shallow waters
and 241 individuals with 24 species in deeper waters. Family Xanthidae was recorded
with nine species as the most dominant family. The most dominant Brachyuran species
observed in this study is Chlorodiella cytherea with 227 individuals. The Shannon Index
(H’) showed that deeper waters had the highest diversity value with H’= 2.56, while
shallow waters had a value of H’= 2.25. Overall, the results obtained revealed moderate
diversity of Brachyuran community in the coral rubble habitats at Bidong Island and there
were significant differences in the diversity of Brachyuran in both the depths. The findings
of this study helps in providing knowledge in coral rubbles and Brachyuran communities
and their ecological importance; thus calls for further research.

Keyword: Brachyuran, coral rubbles, Xanthidae, diversity, Bidong Island

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