Length-weight relationships and mitochondrial COI variation of orange mud crab (Scylla olivacea) across four mangrove localities in Peninsular Malaysia

Authors

  • Murak Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia
    • Mohammad Ekramul Haque Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9124-0493
      • Cher Chien Lau Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Climate Adaptation and Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6551-2603
        • Muhammad Sajjad Ahhmad Marine Technology Center, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
          • Mohammad Asmat-Ullah Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia
            • Hanafiah Fazhan Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia - STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
              • Kuo-Wei Lan Department of Environmental Biology, Fisheries Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, 2 Pei-Ning Road, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan, China
                • Khor Waiho Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia - STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
                  • Hongyu Ma Guangdong Provide Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
                    • Mhd Ikhwanuddin Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia - STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China - Faculty of Fisheries and Marine, Campus C, Airlangga University, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia

                      DOI:

                      https://doi.org/10.47193/mafis.4012027010105

                      Keywords:

                      Mud crab fisheries, body-size allometry, mitochondrial haplotypes, fisheries genetics, mangrove crab

                      Abstract

                      Understanding variation in body-size allometry and genetic diversity of the orange mud crab, Scylla olivacea, is important for effective fisheries management and conservation. This study evaluated length-weight relationships (LWRs) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) genetic diversity among S. olivacea samples collected once from four mangrove ecosystems (four localities; 28 individuals from each locality) along the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia. Carapace width and body weight data were analyzed to characterize locality-specific growth patterns, while mitochondrial (COI) sequences were used to assess the genetic diversity and population genetic structure. The allometric exponent (b) of the LWRs varied among sampling localities, ranging within 2.160-3.694, with coefficients of determination (R2) between 0.809 and 0.971. Analysis of 112 mitochondrial COI sequences revealed 58 haplotypes, with high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.955-0.973) and relatively low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.009-0.011). Analysis of molecular variance indicated that most genetic variation was distributed within sampling localities (97.66%), while only 2.34% occurred among sampling locations. The low and non-significant fixation index (FST = 0.023, P = 0.079) suggested weak genetic differentiation based on the mitochondrial marker examined. These findings indicate that spatial variation in growth patterns occurs alongside limited mitochondrial differentiation among sampled localities; however, the observed phenotypic variation cannot be directly attributed to genetic differences without additional environmental and genomic analyses. The findings provide a descriptive baseline for the four sampled locality-dates.

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                      Published

                      2026-10-23

                      Issue

                      Vol. 40 No. 1 (2027): Marine and Fishery Sciences (MAFIS) - Accepted Articles

                      Section

                      Original Research Papers

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                      Copyright (c) 2026 Murak, Mohammad Ekramul Haque, Cher Chien Lau, Muhammad Sajjad Ahhmad, Mohammad Asmat-Ullah, Hanafiah Fazhan, Kuo-Wei Lan, Khor Waiho, Hongyu Ma, Mhd Ikhwanuddin

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                      How to Cite

                      Murak, Ekramul Haque, M., Lau, C. C., Ahhmad, M. S., Asmat-Ullah, M., Fazhan, H., Lan, K.-W., Waiho, K., Ma, H., & Ikhwanuddin, M. (2026). Length-weight relationships and mitochondrial COI variation of orange mud crab (Scylla olivacea) across four mangrove localities in Peninsular Malaysia. Marine and Fishery Sciences (MAFIS), 40(1). https://doi.org/10.47193/mafis.4012027010105