Ecology Summary - Portunus pelagicus

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Ecology of Portunus pelagicus

Main Ref.	Ng, P.K.L., 1998
Remarks	Immediate subtidal to a depth of 40 m (Ref. 801), on sandy to sandy-muddy substrates in areas near reefs, mangroves, and sea grass and algal beds (Ref. 343). Juveniles tend to occur in shallow intertidal areas (Ref. 343). Burrows in sand when disturbed; carnivorous and voracious predator (Ref. 801). Host to protozoans, helminths and crustaceans (Ref. 104981).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Portunus pelagicus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: mobile; demersal; megabenthos; Soft Bottom: sand; mud;
Substrate Ref.	Ng, P.K.L., 1998
Special habitats	Beds: algae/seaweed; sea grass; Coral Reefs;
Special habitats Ref.	Ng, P.K.L., 1998

Associations

Ref.	Ng, P.K.L., 1998
Associations	parasitism;
Associated with	protozoa Operculariella sp., Acineta sp., Thelohania sp., Nematopsis sp., Ameson sp., Hematodinium sp.; helminths planoceroid turbellarian, tetraphyllid cestode, Levinseniella sp., Polypocephalus moretonensis, Carcinonemertes mitsukurii; crustaceans Choniosphaera indica, Sacculina granifera, Octolasmis spp., Chelonibia patula (Ref. 104981).
Association remarks
Parasitism	outside host (Chelonibia patula is found on the crab's carapace (Ref. 104981).) inside host (All species are endoparasitic except Chelonibia patula (Ref. 104981).)

feeding

Feeding type	plants/detritus+animals (troph. 2.2-2.79)
Feeding type Ref.	de Lestang, S., I.C. Platell and M.E. Potter, 2000
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	de Lestang, S., I.C. Platell and M.E. Potter, 2000

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition	2.48	0.19			Troph of juv./adults.
From individual food items	3.54	0.46			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.	de Lestang, S., I.C. Platell and M.E. Potter, 2000