FOOD PREFERENCES OF NEOSARMATIUM-MEINERTI DE-MAN (DECAPODA, SESARMINAE) AND ITS POSSIBLE EFFECT ON THE REGENERATION OF MANGROVES

Neosarmatium meinerti is a crab which commonly inhabits the landward A vicennia marina fringe in East African mangroves. Stomach content anal ysis of individuals collected at Gazi Bay and Mida Creek (Kenya) showe d that their diet mainly consisted of mangrove leaves, completed with little animal matter. Experiments designed to offer the crabs a choice of leaves or propagules of the various mangrove species present indic ated that N. meinerti has no distinct preference for any of them. Nor is it attracted by spongy material impregnated with the extract of pro pagules from any particular mangrove species. However, at least for Rh izophora mucronata, this crab species has a slight preference for fres hly gathered propagules when presented both matured and freshly gather ed ones. There is little evidence that the plant-derived diet of N. me inerti consists of one mangrove species only, though it is probable th at this crab will restrict its feeding area within the landward A. mar ina fringe. Because of the lack of specificity in its feeding behaviou r, N. meinerti can also be a threat to the successful regeneration or restoration of mangroves through seedling or propagule planting.