Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jul 23;15(7):e71830.
doi: 10.1002/ece3.71830. eCollection 2025 Jul.

Population Dynamics of the Fiddler Crab Tubuca rhizophorae (Tweedie, 1950) in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Anh Ngoc Tran  1   2 , Lam Thi Thao Vo  1   2 , Quang Minh Dinh  2 , Gieo Hoang Phan  3 , Nhien Thi My Huynh  4 , Bang Thi Nhu Le  4 , Ton Huu Duc Nguyen  2
Affiliations

Population Dynamics of the Fiddler Crab Tubuca rhizophorae (Tweedie, 1950) in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Anh Ngoc Tran et al. Ecol Evol. .

Abstract

This study investigates the population characteristics of the fiddler crab, Tubuca rhizophorae, at two sites in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Monthly samples were collected from March 2024 to February 2025 in Dong Hai, Bac Lieu and Dam Doi, Ca Mau. Population parameters, including asymptotic carapace width (CW∞ = 23.18 mm), growth rate (K = 0.68/year), longevity (approximately 4.41 years), total mortality (3.22/year), natural mortality (1.55/year), fishing mortality (1.69/year), exploitation rate (0.52/year), and carapace width at first capture (CWc = 13.60 mm), were estimated. The results indicate that the T. rhizophorae population exhibits rapid growth, relatively short longevity, and is subject to significant fishing pressure; the exploitation rate was determined to be 0.52/year, which exceeds the E 50 value (0.401). The study also reveals two major annual recruitment peaks occurring at the beginning and end of the year. These findings provide critical baseline data for developing sustainable management strategies for this fiddler crab species, which are crucial for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health in the Mekong Delta.

Keywords: Mekong Delta; Tubuca rhizophorae; fiddler crab; growth; mortality.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Map of sampling sites (•: Sampling site; 1: Dong Hai, Bac Lieu; 2: Dam Doi, Ca Mau).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Illustration of carapace width (CW) of Tubuca rhizophorae.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Powell‐Wetherall plots of Tubuca rhizophorae (CW′: Cut off carapace in mm; Yellow data points: Not used; Dark data points: Used).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Growth curves of Tubuca rhizophorae estimated using ELEFAN I superimposed on restructured corrected carapace width‐frequency data (three curves represented for three cohorts in the population).
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Catch curve based on carapace width for Tubuca rhizophorae (Z = 3.22 year−1, M = 1.55 year−1, F = 1.69 year−1, E = 0.52; Yellow data points: Excluded; Dark data points: Excluded; Open circles represent predicted abundance in partially selected size classes).
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Probability of capture based on carapace width of Tubuca rhizophorae with CW25, CW50, and CW75 thresholds.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
The relative yield‐per‐recruit (solid curve) and relative biomass‐per‐recruit (broken curve) using the knife‐edge selection procedure of Tubuca rhizophorae.
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 8
The relative yield‐per‐recruit isopleth diagram of Tubuca rhizophorae (CWc/CW∞ = 0.617, CWc = 13.6 mm, CW∞ = 23.18 mm, E = 0.52).
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 9
Annual recruitment pattern (%) of the Tubuca rhizophorae population at the study site.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Allen, K. R. 1966. “A Method of Fitting Growth Curves of the von Bertalanffy Type to Observed Data.” Journal of the Fisheries Board of Canada 23, no. 2: 163–179. 10.1139/f66-016. - DOI
    1. Bedê, L. M. , Oshiro L. M., Mendes L., and Silva A. A.. 2008. “Comparison of the Population Structure of the Species of Uca (Crustacea: Decapoda: Ocypodidae) in the Mangrove of Itacuruçá, Rio Janeiro, Brazil.” Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 25, no. 4: 601–607. 10.1590/S0101-81752008000400004. - DOI
    1. Beverton, R. 1956. “A Review of Methods for Estimating Mortality Rates in Fish Populations, With Special Reference to Sources of Bias in Catch Sampling.” Rapports et Proces‐Verbaux des Reunions Conseil International pour l'Exploration de la Mer 140: 67–83.
    1. Beverton, R. J. H. , and Holt S. J.. 1957. On the Dynamics of Exploited Fish Populations. Vol. 19. Chapman & Hall.
    1. Bezerra, L. E. A. , and Matthews‐Cascon H.. 2007. “Population and Reproductive Biology of the Fiddler Crab <styled-content style="fixed-case"> Uca thayeri </styled-content> Rathbun, 1900 (Crustacea: Ocypodidae) in a Tropical Mangrove From Northeast Brazil.” Acta Oecologica 31, no. 3: 251–258. 10.1016/j.actao.2006.10.003. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources