Truss based morphometric approach for the analysis of body shape in portunid crabs (Charybdis feriatus, Portunus felagicus and P. Sanguinolentus) along Ratnagiri coast, India

Abstract

The present study was done on blue swimming crabs namely, Portunus pelagicus, P. sanguinolentus and Charybdis feriatus with a view to differentiate them on the basis of body shape using truss network. The truss distances between 14 landmarks on dorsal and 15 on ventral aspect of cephalothorax with 29 and 35 truss variables were measured. The Student’s t-test significantly differentiated three species (p