Abstract

Esther N. Fondo, Edward N. Kimani and Dixon O. Odongo

Mangrove mud crabs, Scylla sp. are among crustaceans of commercial value along the Kenyan coast and in many mangrove areas in the Western Indian Ocean region. In Kenya the crabs are landed by artisanal fishermen. Rising population in the coastal areas and high demand for the crabs has led to increased pressure on the crabs. The population structure and maturity stages of Scylla serrata from Ngomeni - Fundisa area of Malindi were investigated from July 2005 to July 2006. The size of crabs caught ranged from 50 to 125 mm carapace length, with crabs of 75 mm carapace length dominating. Male crabs dominated in the captured population. Linear relationships were obtained for both female and male crabs for the Carapace length - Carapace width. The size at first maturity was at 75 and 70 mm carapace length for male and female crabs respectively. There is an indication of exploitation pressure on the population and to ensure sustainable management, regulation on the minimum size of the crabs to be caught is recommended.