REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR OF covered blocking vision; the eyes of others were left unob
CARDISOMA CARNIFEX (HERBST, 1794) structed. When released the visually impaired crabs were
(BRACHYURA: GECARCINIDAE) AT LIZARD disorientated. Non visually impaired crabs would immedi
ISLAND, GREAT BARRIER REEF ately move up the beach and seek cover. Migrating crabs
The land crab, Cardisoma carnifex, was first found at would stop if a light or large shadowy object was near them.
Lizard Island by Peter Davie of the Queensland Museum in A sample of the migrating crabs were caught and tagged
1une 1987. The closest previous record was Murray Island in by etching the carapace with a hacksaw. Although Cardi
the Torres Strait (Tilrkay, 1974). soma guanhumi is known to spawn several times in a season
The populations studied were located in Watson's Bay and (Lutz and Austin, 1983), none of the tagged spawning
Mermaid Cove on Lizard Island (I4°40'S, 145°27'E). The females were recaptured during subsequent spawning migra
Watson's Bay study site included two areas of approximately tions.
400 sq m with over 300 obviously active burrows. The During the 23/4 year study a total of nine copulations were
Mermaid Cove site is smaller comprising 300 sq m and 200 observed - six between October to 1anuary and two during
burrows. The burrows were located on the edge of the man the last week of May. Three female crabs collected in late
groves near the high-water mark in a community of grasses May/early 1une were dissected. Two of these were post
dominated by the saltwater couch, Sporobolus virgillicus. copulatory. In all three, the brown ovaries were undeveloped
Reproductive behaviour and periodicity were studied be and weighed 0.7, 0.9 and l.4g.
tween October 1987 and 1une 1990. The female crabs spawned The period between copulation and spawning in Scylla
by migrating from their burrows to the ocean. In Watson's serrata can extend up to 7 months under unfavourable con
Bay they migrated from their burrows on the landward edge ditions of temperature and nutrition (DuPlessis, unpubl. in
of the mangroves, over a 5m high spinifex covered sand dune Heasman ct al., 1985). It is possible that copulation in Car
to the ocean or followed Ferrier's Creek to its mouth. The disoma carnifex occurs 1-5 months prior to spawning.
crabs entered the sea and swam a maximum of 15m from No precopulatory observations were made. Copulation
shore to depths of 0.1-3m. Hatching was induced when the occurred intermoult near burrows of females. Copulation
egg laden abdomen was submerged and the female nicked occurred with crabs ventrally juxtaposed by the entrance to
her abdomen. The egg cases immediately ruptured and the the female's burrow. There was little motion. The female was
zoea swam free. Each 30G-400g crab released between not constrained by the male nor were there other males in the
350,000 and 450,000 eggs. Egg mass was related to body vicinity. Copulation terminated within 1-10 minutes after
weight. being spotted. The female quickly entered a burrow while the
male slowly moved away.
Evidence from captures of berried females, tracks on the
beach at Watson's Bay and Mermaid Cove, and observations
of spawning, indicated that spawning was highly seasonal Literature Cited
and tied to lunar phase on Lizard Island. In October 1988 Heasman, M.P., Fielder, D.R. and Shepherd, R.K. 1985.
tracks from 10 crabs were observed on the beach at Watson's Mating and spawning in the mudcrab Scylla serrata
Bay indicating that in at least some years spawning may (Forskal) (Decapoda: Portunidae), in Moreton Bay,
begin as early as October (the austral spring). No berried Queensland. Australian 10urnal of Marine and Fresh
females or tracks were observed in November in any of the water Research 36(6): 773-783.
KannupanJi, T., Khan, S.A., Thomas, M., Sundaramoorthy,
study years. Spawning migrations occurred primarily three
S. and Natarajan, R. 1980. Larvae of the land crab
nights before full and new moons in December 1989 and
Cardisoma carnifex (Herbst) (Brachyura: Gecarcinidae)
1anuary 19l.J0. Spawning migrations were observed on 11-13
reared in the laboratory. Indian 10urnal of Marine
December 1989 (approximately 30 crabs per night at Mer
Science 9: 271-277.
maid Cove; 20 crabs per night at Watson's Bay) and 8-10
Lutz, P.L and Austin, C.B. 1983. Land crabs: a new resource
1anuary 1990 (approximately 20 crabs at Mermaid Cove; 30
potential. Proceedings of the Annual Gulf and Carribean
crabs at Watson's Bay), both periods occurred during the Fisheries Institute 35: 6-16.
three days prior to full moon. No migrating males were Tilrkay, M. 1974. Die Gecarcinidae Asiens und Ozeaniens
observed. Also tracks from 60-70 spawning crabs were (Crustacea: Decapoda). Seckenbergiana Biologica
observed on 12 December 1989 in Watson's Bay and from 55(4/6): 223-259.
25-30 crabs at Mermaid Beach. Tracks from approximately
50 crabs were observed on the strand line on the new moon
on 29 1anuary 1989. There was no evidence of spawning in
N.J. Quinn, B.L. Kojis, Lizard Island Research Station,
February 19l.J0. P.M.B. 37, Cairns, Queensland 487/, Australia.
An ovigerous female was captured by the burrows on
December 1989. The undifferentiated yolky eggs developed K. Diele, Julius-Maximilians Universitiit, Wurzburg,
into zoea and hatched in 13 days. The timing of zoea release
Germany.
coincided with the December spawning migration.
Vision plays an important role in the migration. Crabs that
had just released eggs were captured. Some crabs eyes were U. Meischner, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany,
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
1990 INTERNATIONAL
CRUSTACEAN CONFERENCE
BRISBANE MEMOIRS OF THE VOLUME 31
1 SEPTEMBER, 1991 QUEENSLAND MUSEUM
