Distribution and density of Brachyuran crabs in Shatt Al-Basra Canal, Basrah, Iraq
2025
Okash, Anfas N. | Saleem, Fadya M. | Alkinani, Sudad Asaad | Abdulhameed, Zahraa M.
Crab samples were collected monthly from September 2023 to June 2024 in the Shatt Al-Basra Canal, Basrah, Iraq. During sampling, the air temperature ranged from 8 to 38°C, biological oxygen demand (BOD) from 3.5 to 7.3 mg/L, and total organic carbon (TOC) from 0.25 to 0.54. Based on the results, the highest density recorded for Nasima dotilliformis in December was 6 ind/m2, for Leptochryseus kuwaitensis in February, and for Ilyoplax stevens in December and January, reaching 4 ind/m2. Nasima dotilloformis was found throughout the whole study period in all months, but the two other species were absent in some months, with L. kuwaitensis having a lower density. Temperature had the most significant impact on the presence and density of the crab community and was a fundamental factor in the dryness of the riverbank soil. The results also showed a significant inverse correlation between temperature and BOD and an insignificant direct correlation between temperature and TOC.
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