OCCURRENCE OF ARBOREAL-CLIMBING GRAPSIDS AND OTHER BRACHYURANS IN TWO MANGROVE AREAS OF SOUTHERN LUZON, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

Despite the obvious importance to ecosystem functioning, the most prominent groupsbelonging to the Grapsidae are generally regarded as less studied in the Philippines. In thisstudy, the occurrence of arboreal-climbing grapsids and other brachyurans associated with themangals of Quezon and Catanduanes was considered including some aspects on climbing,burrowing and feeding behaviour of selected grapsids represented byand . The non-grapsoid taxa are represented by Varunidae ( ),Portunidae ( , , , ); and Eriphiidae ( ).(White 1847) [ ] is an exclusive mangrove tree climber (EMTC), while(A. Milne Edwards 1873) is described here as occasional mangrove treeclimber (OMTC). (De Haan 1835) is anon-mangrove arborealclimbing species (NTC) only seen on crevices of the mangrove areas.creates burrows most often than . Likewise, the study providesinformation on the presence of the portunid orange mud crab ( ); the green mudcrab ( ); the varunid ( ); and extremely abundant xanthiidcrab, in the mangroves of Catanduanes but not in Pagbilao, Quezon

Keywords

• Grapsid crabs
• brachyurans
• mangroves
• Philippines