Diversity, biology and exploitation of brackish water crabs in West Africa: A review

Abstract

Crabs are an important biological component of the West African lagoon fauna and are exploited by fishing communities. This paper presents a synthesis of the current understanding pertaining to the diversity, biology and exploitation of these crabs in order to identify promising research paths for this zoological group. A literature review was done. Thirty-two species belonging to thirteen families and twenty-three genera have been indexed by previous investigators and we plan on making use of this information in defining future research direction. The biology of crabs has been the subject of much research focused on Callinectes amnicola (Rochebrune, 1883) species. C. amnicola is an omnivorous species whose males are known to mature between 63 and 105 mm shell width, while females mature between 83.5 and 116.2 mm shell width. Fertility varies from 0.47 to 4.8 million eggs per female. However, exploitation parameters for this species in various lagoons are not available. A research direction geared towards establishing a new and thorough inventory along with currently nonexistent but relevant exploitation parameters will go a long way in defining sustainable management measures for these crab species.

Growth of Hybrids of Sarotherodon melanotheron (Rüppell, 1852) and Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Area of Lake Ahémé and Its Channels

“…Fish, the main source of protein for populations in southern Benin, is provided by water bodies [2]. However, ever-increasing demographic pressure, coupled with the erosion of banks and poor fishing practices have led to a degradation of the aquatic ecosystem and a drop in fish production [3]. Fish farming is, therefore, an essential alternative to meet the dietary needs of populations in fish protein.…”

Socio-economic and cultural values of two species of crabs (Cardisoma armatum Herklots and Callinectes amnicola Rochebrune) in Southern Benin, Africa: Management of post-harvest losses and exoskeletons

“…Thirty-two crab species are reported in lagoons or different habitats ranging from the marine environment to the firm ground from Côte d'Ivoire to Nigeria. These species are divided into twenty-three genera and thirteen families (Dessouassi et al, 2018). According to available literature, the highest species richness of lagoon crabs is observed in Nigeria (twentythree species) and the lowest is observed in Togo (two species).…”

“…According to available literature, the highest species richness of lagoon crabs is observed in Nigeria (twentythree species) and the lowest is observed in Togo (two species). Regional surveys conducted during colonial times and around the period of the independence movement in West Africa have not included all the lagoons in such countries as Benin or Côte d'Ivoire (Dessouassi et al, 2018). Nowadays, in lagoon systems of South Benin, the exploitation of fishery resources constitutes an essential economic activity that contributes to the livelihoods of neighboring populations (Goussanou et al, 2017a).…”

“…Nowadays, in lagoon systems of South Benin, the exploitation of fishery resources constitutes an essential economic activity that contributes to the livelihoods of neighboring populations (Goussanou et al, 2017a). The lagoon systems of southern Benin contain a wide variety of crustaceans, including Cardisoma armatum Herklots and Callinectes amnicola Rochebrune (Goussanou et al, 2017a;Dessouassi et al, 2018). These two abundant aquatic species are extensively caught for own consumption and trade at the Lake Nokoué (Tohozin, 2012) and Porto-Novo lagoon (Goussanou et al, 2017b).…”

“…The knowledge based on lagoon crabs is variable in Gulf of Guinea countries, namely from Côte d'Ivoire to Nigeria. Some works were conducted on C. armatum and C. amnicola species in West Africa and provided information on diversity (Dessouassi et al, 2018), ecological (Shahdadi and Schubart, 2017), biology (George and Abowei, 2009), reproduction (Jivoff et al, 2007), morphological description, structural characteristics, and the growth of the two main species of crab (Goussanou et al, 2017b). Information in relation with the sociocultural importance of these species is not available.…”