The current situation of horseshoe crabs in the offshore waters of northern South China Sea with analysis of the potential habitat distribution of juvenile Tachypleus tridentatus in Beibu Gulf

doi:10.17520/biods.2022407

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims: The horseshoe crab population in the areas surrounding China have declined dramatically due to overfishing, environmental pollution, and habitat loss. In 2019, Tachypleus tridentatus was listed in the IUCN Red List as Endangered category. However, the current literature on horseshoe crabs within China is inadequate, adversely affecting the conservation of the species. This paper aims to assess the current situation of horseshoe crabs in the offshore waters of the northern South China Sea and determine the potential distribution of the T. tridentatus in the Beibu Gulf.
Methods: In 2018 and 2019, trawl sampling was used in the adult horseshoe crab survey in the northern coastal waters of the South China Sea, with a total of 99 sampling sites. For the investigation of juvenile T. tridentatus population in the intertidal zones, 10 and 14 investigation points were set up in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Using our survey results, a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model was used to analyze the potential habitat of juvenile T. tridentatus along the Beibu Gulf.
Results: In the survey, 18 horseshoe crabs were found at only 15 of the 99 sites. Among them, 9 horseshoe crabs were found at 7 sites in 2018 and 9 at 8 sites in 2019. The abundance of juvenile T. tridentatus in the Beibu Gulf was determined to be 0.01-0.33 ind./100 m²in 2019 and 0.01-0.65 ind./100 m²in 2020. According to the results of the MaxEnt model, 18.39% of the intertidal zone along the Beibu Gulf coast is highly suitable for juvenile horseshoe crabs.
Conclusions: Adult horseshoe crabs in the offshore waters of northern South China Sea are sparsely distributed and mainly concentrated in the Beibu Gulf. Of the areas along the coast of Guangxi in the Beibu Gulf, Suixi County in Guangdong and Xinying Bay in Hainan are the most highly suitable areas for juvenile horseshoe crab. Therefore, we should focus on strengthening the protection of these areas.

Key words: Tachypleus tridentatus, Beibu Gulf, current resource status, maximum entropy model, habitat

Yuyuan Bao, Yinkang Li, Wuying Lin, Zhiqin Zhou, Xiaobo Xiao, Xiaoyong Xie. The current situation of horseshoe crabs in the offshore waters of northern South China Sea with analysis of the potential habitat distribution of juvenile Tachypleus tridentatus in Beibu Gulf[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2023, 31(5): 22407.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2022407

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2023/V31/I5/22407

Figures/Tables 8

References 45

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编号 Number	站位 Survey station	经度 Longitude	纬度 Latitude	平均高潮位 Mean high tide level (m)	平均低潮位 Mean low tide level (m)	参考潮汐站位 The closest tidal station
1	渔洲坪 Yuzhouping	108°22′ E	21°38′ N	3.7	1.15	防城港 Fangchenggang
2	螃蟹档 Pangxiedang	108°49′ E	21°37′ N	3.88	1.37	龙门 Longmen
3	中三墩 Zhongsandun	108°52′ E	21°37′ N	3.88	1.37	龙门 Longmen
4	西背岭 Xibeiling	109°10′ E	21°24′ N	4.0	1.3	北海 Beihai
5	下村 Xiacun	109°12′ E	21°25′ N
6	竹林盐场 Zhulinyanchang	109°16′ E	21°25′ N
7	坡尾底 Poweidi	109°33′ E	21°31′ N	5.05	2.16	铁山港 Tieshangang (石头埠) (Shitoubu)
8	沙田 Shatian	109°39′ E	21°30′ N
9	榕根山 Ronggenshan	109°40′ E	21°29′ N
10	乌坭 Wuni	109°45′ E	21°29′ N
11	草潭 Caotan	109°48′ E	21°21′ N	4.07	1.51	下泊 Xiabo
12	澄迈湾 Chengmaiwan	109°59′ E	19°56′ N	2.46	0.92	马村港 Macungang
13	新盈 Xinying (I)	109°31′ E	19°54′ N	3.15	1.07	新盈 Xinying
14	新英 Xinying (II)	109°16′ E	19°43′ N	3.07	1.05	洋浦 Yangpu

编号 Number	站位 Survey station	经度 Longitude	纬度 Latitude	平均高潮位 Mean high tide level (m)	平均低潮位 Mean low tide level (m)	参考潮汐站位 The closest tidal station
1	渔洲坪 Yuzhouping	108°22′ E	21°38′ N	3.7	1.15	防城港 Fangchenggang
2	螃蟹档 Pangxiedang	108°49′ E	21°37′ N	3.88	1.37	龙门 Longmen
3	中三墩 Zhongsandun	108°52′ E	21°37′ N	3.88	1.37	龙门 Longmen
4	西背岭 Xibeiling	109°10′ E	21°24′ N	4.0	1.3	北海 Beihai
5	下村 Xiacun	109°12′ E	21°25′ N
6	竹林盐场 Zhulinyanchang	109°16′ E	21°25′ N
7	坡尾底 Poweidi	109°33′ E	21°31′ N	5.05	2.16	铁山港 Tieshangang (石头埠) (Shitoubu)
8	沙田 Shatian	109°39′ E	21°30′ N
9	榕根山 Ronggenshan	109°40′ E	21°29′ N
10	乌坭 Wuni	109°45′ E	21°29′ N
11	草潭 Caotan	109°48′ E	21°21′ N	4.07	1.51	下泊 Xiabo
12	澄迈湾 Chengmaiwan	109°59′ E	19°56′ N	2.46	0.92	马村港 Macungang
13	新盈 Xinying (I)	109°31′ E	19°54′ N	3.15	1.07	新盈 Xinying
14	新英 Xinying (II)	109°16′ E	19°43′ N	3.07	1.05	洋浦 Yangpu

环境变量 Environmental variables	贡献率 Contribution rate (%)	重要性 Permutation importance (%)
平均海表温度 Mean sea surface temperature (sst)	45.9	10.2
最湿季均温 Mean temperature of the wettest quarter (bio 8)	36	21.3
距海岸线欧氏距离 Euclidean distance to the coastline (coastline)	4.4	44.4
最暖月最高温 Max temperature of the warmest month (bio 5)	3.1	3.9
降水季节性变化 Precipitation seasonality (bio 15)	2.8	0.6
年平均气温 Annual mean temperature (bio 1)	2.4	5.2
海底地形高程 Seabed topographic elevation (etopo 1)	2.3	9.4
年平均降水量 Annual precipitation (bio 12)	0.8	0.2
最干月降水量 Precipitation of the driest month (bio 14)	0.7	0.7
平均海表盐度 Mean sea surface salinity (sss)	0.5	2.2
气温季节性变化 Temperature seasonality (bio 4)	0.4	1
等温性 Isothermality (bio 3)	0.4	0.3
气温日较差 Mean diurnal range (bio 2)	0.2	0.5

环境变量 Environmental variables	贡献率 Contribution rate (%)	重要性 Permutation importance (%)
平均海表温度 Mean sea surface temperature (sst)	45.9	10.2
最湿季均温 Mean temperature of the wettest quarter (bio 8)	36	21.3
距海岸线欧氏距离 Euclidean distance to the coastline (coastline)	4.4	44.4
最暖月最高温 Max temperature of the warmest month (bio 5)	3.1	3.9
降水季节性变化 Precipitation seasonality (bio 15)	2.8	0.6
年平均气温 Annual mean temperature (bio 1)	2.4	5.2
海底地形高程 Seabed topographic elevation (etopo 1)	2.3	9.4
年平均降水量 Annual precipitation (bio 12)	0.8	0.2
最干月降水量 Precipitation of the driest month (bio 14)	0.7	0.7
平均海表盐度 Mean sea surface salinity (sss)	0.5	2.2
气温季节性变化 Temperature seasonality (bio 4)	0.4	1
等温性 Isothermality (bio 3)	0.4	0.3
气温日较差 Mean diurnal range (bio 2)	0.2	0.5