A preliminary report on the fauna of decapod crustacea in the mangrove and estuarine areas of Batan Bay, Panay Island, Philippines

Abstract

In the Philippines, the total mangrove site for aquaculture development and others is about 576,000 hectares which constitute only 1.9 percent of the country's land resources. There are at present about 176,000 hectares of fishponds, representing 30.5 percent of the total mangrove resources in the country.

Located in the northern part of Panay Island, 11°40' latitude and 122°30' longitude, Batan Bay has approximately 2,500 hectares with the average water depth of less than 5 meters during low tide. This bay consists of Port Batan, Banga Baylet and numerous tidal creeks. More than 80 percent of the coastal line in the bay is surrounded by mangrove areas and the rest is rocky or coconut forest. Shrimp fishing is considered an important fishery in Batan Bay. The main objectives of this survey are: 1) To know the species, particularly edible ones, of decapod crustaceae found in the mangrove and estuarine areas; 2) To know their ecology and life history; and 3) To provide the biological data available for protection or preservation of the mangrove area.