Survey of Mangrove Associated Fauna of

Shabi Mangrove Plantation Creek, Gwader

Mohammad Yousuf, Salah-ud-din, Goharam Saeed, Qamber
Malang jan and Mohammad Amin
Faculty of Marine Science, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and
Marine Sciences
Email: Jan_yousuf@ymail.com

Key Words: Associated Fauna, Mangrove, Shabi creek, Gwader

ABSTRACT
The mangrove associated fauna of shabi creek, Gwader were surveyed during two successive
one-day trips in October and November (2012) respectively. Two species of birds were observed
and 256 specimens of other fauna were sampled randomly from different location of shabi
creek. Specimens were identified and each species individual were counted and released to
back. Shannon diversity index were calculated for these species. All in all two species of birds
and 256 individual of other fauna belonging from 9 families and 11 species observed either
sampled from around 37 hectares mangrove plantation area. Five species of finfishes, 4 species
of crabs and 2 species of Aves (birds) were recorded. Most of them were finfishes at species
level and Ghost crab (Ocypoda rotudanta) at individual level. Second dominant specie was Uca
crab (Uca pagnax). Further research should be done to find similar response in accompanying
microscopic organisms.
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INTRODUCTION
Mangroves are considered one of most productive ecosystem within the tropics and the
subtropics, with distinctive faunal association characteristically, in mangrove the detritivores and
consumers of high tropic level are strongly integrated (Jiang and Li, 1995). Mangrove associated
fauna diversity range from small decomposers to large mammals, depend on mangrove habitat
as nesting, feeding, spawning and nursery ground is well as permanent home. Coastal ecosystem
traditionaly known as an important nursery area for both estuarine-resident and temporary
resident species (chavis and Bouchereau 1999). Nursery area Penaeidae Juveniles in this
ecosystem have been associated with food availability and shelter from predators, supplied by
physical structure, such as substratum and turbidity, in combination with agonestic behavior of
shrimp (primaver 1997)).
Shabi creek is a sandy cum muddy shoreline that receives saline water from the west bay of
Gwader and fresh water from Ankara River and its associated watershed.
Mangrove plantation program in shabi creek was conducted by IUCN (international union for the
conservation of nature) team of Gwader district since 2002. Plantation of one species of
mangrove (Avicenna marina) was practices over 37 hectares area of shabi creek. There is some
paper had been published on mangrove associated fauna included work of Welss (1983), Zhou
and Li (1986), Petra et-al (1990), Sasekumar et-al (1994), Alcantara and Weiss (1995), Guerreiro
et-al (1995), Sasekumar and chong (1998), Centere et-al (1999), Akil and Jiddawi (2001), Koch
and Wolf (2002), Macintosh et-al (2002). The associated fauna of mangrove of shabi creek have
been studies all around the plantation area, Sageer Zaman et-al (2011) from LAWMS (lasbela
university of Agriculture, Water and Marine sciences) have studied the mangrove Ecology of
shabi creek and Ankara creek at Gwader.
This paper contains basic information of founded mangrove associated fauna species from shabi
mangrove plantation creek. The research was carried out during winter session, wet period from
15 October to 13 November.
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MATERIAL AND METHODS

The area at the shabi creek (N 25 12 17.50 and E 62.05 19.2) located 30Km west of Gwader
city, where the weather is subtropical and mean temperature is 25.3 degree centigrade with a
little variation throughout year.
Two one-day sampling were carried out in each one day trip around 37 hectares area. Bird
specimens were observed and their picture was taken for identification. Other mangrove
associated fauna samplings were made through hand collection from out of water and by net
catch into water. Thirty meter long gill net with 35 floaters of three different mesh sizes: 40mm,
45mm, and 50mm used for the collection of specimens. Net were lowerd in mangrove relevant
water at morning 11am and taken out after half hours. Catch fish were collected from net and
identified, specie individuals counted then all alive specimens released back into water. Dead
and effected one was not forward again in water. Other fauna from out of water collected by
hand and released back after counting and identification. Sandy and muddy stratum of surveyed
area was dredged with help of an iron rod for the collection of polycheates and borrowers.
Second sampling was done from beyond of previous covered area. All individuals were identified
by the external morphological study and help of key books. The Shannon diversity index was
calculated by formula: 1-D, where the D= n(n-1)/N(N-1) where the n is the number of each
specie individual and N is the number of total individual.
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Site map

s
Creek view from site map
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Plantation area view

RESULT
Totally 11 species of mangrove associated fauna observed included, Ocypoda rotudanta, Uca
pagnax, Periophthalmus barbarus, Scylla serrate, Portunus pelagicus, Arius thalassinus,
Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Chanos chanos, Liza vaigiensis, Nematalosa nasus, Egretta gularis, .
Ghost crab specie Ocypoda rotudanta was the most dominant compare to other observed fauna.
Second dominant specie was Uca pagnax. Two species of Aves: Phalacrocorax aristotelis and
Egretta gularis, were observed in rare amount compare to others. The calculated Shannon
diversity index was: D = 0.852. Polycheates, insects and mollusks were not come up in random
sampling.
The identified species images, classification and general description, are given below from Fig 1
to Fig 11
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Fig 1

Scientific name Arius thalassinus

Common name Gaint sea cat fish

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum chordate
Subphylum vertibrata
Class Actinopterygii
Order sluriformes
Family Ariidae
Specie Arius thalassinus

General description
Arius thalassinus has a white color on ventral side and silver color on dorsal side. The size of cat
fish is from 60-80cm that is the total length from the snout of mouth to the tip of caudal fin. Cat
fish is mostly found in muddy and sandy flats in deep water. Female lay eggs and male take
these eggs in its mouth for 40 days until they are not hatched.
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Fig 2

Scientific name Phalacrocorax aristotelis

Common name European shag

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum chordate
Class Aves
Order suliformes
Family phalacrocorcidae
Specie Phalacrocorax aristotelis

General description
Size of European shag is 68 to 78cm long and 95 to 110cm wingspan. It has a longish tail and
yellow throat-patch. Adult have a small crest in breeding session. Its tail has 12 feathers. The
European shag is the one of the deepest diver among the cormorant family. Using depth
gauges, European shag have been shown to dive to at least 45 meters. European shag is
preponderantly benthic feeder. They feed on sand eel commonly.
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Fig 3

Scientific name chanos chanos

Common name Milk fish

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum vertibrata
Class Actinoptergii
Order Gonorynchiformes
Family Chanidae
Specie Chanos chanos

General description
There is Lack of spines on the dorsal fin of milk fish. Its common size is 100cm. The milk fish
possess a small mouth. Milk fish has a shining silver color. Milk fish is a pelagic fish found up to
200m depth. These fishes are commonly planktonic feeder and also prey on small fishes larvae.
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Fig 4

Scientific name liza vaigiensis

Common name square-tail-mullet
Local name Murbo/Gid

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum vertibrata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Mugiliforemes
Family Mugilidaae
Specie L. Vaigiensis

General description
It is shallow coastal water fish. Found commonly in Delta Rivers, mangrove habitat, lagoon, creek
many other shallow water coastal habitats. This fish is a planktonic feeder commonly feed on
phytoplankton. It also depends on detritus and dead organism as food source. Its peak session is
from March to July. Its size is about 15 to 35cm.
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Fig 5

Scientific name Nematalosa nasus

Common name Long ray bony bream
Local name Goi

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum chordate
Subphylum vertibrata
Class Actinopterygii
Order clupeomorha
Family clupeidae
Specie N. nasus

General description
Last ray is long and filamentous. There is doting line beside the gill. It has a projecting mouth. Its
size is 18cm.Nematalosa nasus is found in the intertidal zone around estuaries and mangrove
forests, to depth of about 30m. It is tolerant of a range of salinities from freshwater to marine.
This species is a filter feeder.Nematalosa nasus is found in the Indian Ocean, from the coast of
Iran and the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to Malaysia. It is also possibly present in the Gulf of
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Aden and Indonesia. In the Indo-Pacific, it is found from Thailand to the southern tips of Japan
and Korea, including the Philippines.
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Fig 6

Scientific name Ocypoda rotudanta

Common name Ghost Crab

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum crustacean
Class malacostraca
Order decapoda
Family ocypodidae
Specie Ocypoda rotudanta

General description
Ocypoda rotudanta is a fast mover crab and move by side pattern of its body rather than
longitudinal way. These are crawling crab and swimming legs are absent. The have two stalked
eyes. These are Yellowish in color. There are small and tiny tentacles on the legs and chelae of
these crabs. Size is varied from 70 to 100mm by length. One chela is large and one is small, some
have right one as large and some have left as large. Ghost crab found sandy and muddy
beaches. They also found in creeks, lagoons, deltas and in mangrove swamps. These are always
in groups. Found in high density in undisturbed areas. They are deposit feeder. Their distribution
is worldwide.
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Fig 7

Scientific name Portunus pelagicus

Common name Blue crab

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum crustecea
Class Malacostraca
Order decapoda
Famila portunidae
Specie portunus pelagicus

General description
The size of blue crab is 8 to 12cm. They have two anterior spines. Their last tooth greatly
expanded. Their fifth pair of leg is modified as swimming leg. The color is blue. Maximum
caraface width is up to 20cm. they are not fast move and have locomotion of lethargic
mobilization. Its distribution extends from the southern Mediterranean Sea, the east coast of
Africa and across the Indian Ocean to japan and the western Pacific Ocean. The small-sized crab
prefers shallow waters while large-sized crab migrates in deep waters.(Javed Mustaqui
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2004).They feed on small size of fauna such as polycheate, bivalve mollusks, crabs, burrowing
animals etc.
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Fig 8

Scientific name Periophthalmus barbarous

Common name Atlantic Mudskipper

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum chordate
Class Actinopterygii
Order Perciformes
Family Gobiidae
Specie P. barbarus

General description
Periophthalmus barbarus is found on muddy substrates and in brackish waters of estuaries,
lagoons, and mangrove swamps (Stiassny et al. 2007). It is found occasionally in freshwater, but
always close to the coast (Stiassny et al. 2007). It is a reef-associated and amphidromous
species (Reide 2004). Periophthalmus barbarus is an amphibious air-breather (Martin and
Bridges 1999) that skips or walks on sand or mud in search of food; that is, on exposed intertidal
mud flats of estuarine mangrove swamps. The adult feed chiefly on arthropods (crabs, insects,
etc.) of the mud surface. Also included in the diet is the white mangrove, Avicennia
nitida (Irvine 1947). They spawn in burrows (Miller 1981). This species is found in brackish water
along the West African coast, from Senegal to Angola, and on the islands of the Gulf of Guinea.
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Fig 9

Scientific name Egretta gularis

Common name western reef heron

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order pelecaniformes
Family Ardeidae
Specie E. gularis

General description
This bird has two plumage color forms. There is an all-white morph and a dark grey morph;
intermediate morphs also occur. The white morph is similar in general appearance to .the little
egret but has a thicker bill, duller legs, and a less elegant appearance. The grey morph is unlikely
to be confused with any other species within the range of this egret
These birds stalk their prey in shallow water, often running or shuffling their feet; they may also
stand still and wait to ambush prey. They eat fish crustacean and mollusk.
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Fig 10

Scientific name Uca pagnax

Common name uca crab

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum crustecea
Class malacostraca
Order decapoda
Family ocypodidae
Specie U. pagnax

General description
Found in mnagrove in salt marshes, and on sandy or muddy beaches of West Africa, the western
Atlantic, the eastern pacific, and the Indo-pacific. fiddler crabs are easily recognized by their
distinctively asymmetric claws.Fiddler crabs communicate by a sequence of waves and
gestures males have an oversized claw or cheliped; used in clashes of ritualized combat of
 17

courtship over a female and signal their intentions between conspecifics. The movement of the
smaller claw from ground to mouth during feeding underlines the crabs' common name; it looks
as if the animal were playing the larger claw like a fiddle.The crab's smaller claw picks up a chunk
of sediment from the ground and brings it to the mouth, where its contents are sifted through
(making the crab a detritivores) . After anything edible is salvaged, be it algae, microbes, fungus
or other decaying detritus the sediment is replaced in the form of a little ball. The presence of
these sediment balls near the entrance to a burrow is a good indication of its occupation. Some
experts believe that the feeding habits of fiddler crabs play a vital role in the preservation of
wetland environments; by sifting through the sands, they aerate the substrate and prevent
anaerobic conditions.
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Fig 11

Scientific name Scylla serrate

Common name Mud crab

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthroppda
Subphylum crustecea
Class Malacostraca
Order decapoda
Family ocypodidae
Specie S. Serrata

General description
The average size of mud crab is about 11cm. fifth pair of leg is modified as swimming leg. These
are muddy in color and possess a very hard carapace. Mud crab is a member of group of
swimming crab. They found in muddy bottom and mangrove areas. Their distribution is
throughout the Indo-pacific region. They tolerate high temperature and salinity variation. They
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feed on slow moving, sessile, bottom dwelling organisms such as bivalve, snails, harmit crab,
polycheate etc.

Fuana types richness by the number of species

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Species richness by the number of individuals

Discussion
Recent survey arises with such result by which a partially normal community structure of shabi
mangrove plantation area can verified. It is the positive impact of mangrove plantation and the
free up from daily human activities of given location. Shabi creek received minimum fresh water
and maximum salt water. The source of fresh water is Ankara River that had been restricted by
the construction of Ankara Deam that may effect on that area biodiversity by future. Most
abundance of ghost crab specie (Ocypoda rotudanta) compare to other is a sign of its high
growth and the mode of invasive specie among shabi mangrove ecosystem. Second dominant
specie of Uca crab (uca pagnax) is also its high growth response compare to other fauna. Shabi
mangrove plantation area supported these two species more compare to other. These two
species are not highly commercially importance but they play important ecological role among
whole community. This semi-protected area biodiversity harvesting mode is potential to
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commercial species by IUCN team that lead highly abundance of non-commercial species. No
outcome of polycheate, mollusks, and insect from attempted sampling due of two possible
cases: by unusual sampling method, by their rare abundance. Mollusk usually not survives on
sandy and muddy bottom but they commonly rely on mangrove root and stem either rocky
substratum. Mangrove plants parts (root, stem, and leave) are not sampled during study. Some
organisms are ignored respect of time restriction (one month) and field work (2-days).

Acknowledgement
This work was partially supported by IUCN (international union for the conservation of nature)
program BPSD (Baluchistan partnership for sustainable development) for the project survey of
mangrove associated fauna of shabi mangrove plantation creek, Gwader.
The Authors thank Dr. Abdul Hameed Bajoi (vice chancellor of lasbela university of Agriculture,
Water and Marine Sciences) and Dr. Javed Mustquim for their approval and arrangement of that
work respectively. Authors also thankful to Dr. nuzzat Afsar, Mr. Asghar Shah, Mr. Zafar jattak,
Ms Azra Bano, Mr. Zubair Ahmed, and Mr. javed for their support and help regard conducted
research.
We are also indebted to Mr. Irshad Ahmed for his helping the preparation of research literature.
We are also thankful to all whom they participate in our research as minor contributor.

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