Do lunar cycles affect molting of mud crabs Scylla olivacea reared in a closed recirculation system?

Novalina Serdiati; Muhammad Safir; Sunarti Sunarti; Akbar Marzuki Tahya

doi:10.22034/ijab.v13i1.2386

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Novalina Serdiati Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Aquatic Resources Study Program, Tadulako University, Jl. Soekarno-Hatta, KM 9 Palu, Central Sulawesi, 94118, Indonesia.
Muhammad Safir Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Aquaculture Study Program, Tadulako University, Jl. Soekarno-Hatta, KM 9 Palu, Central Sulawesi, 94118, Indonesia.
Sunarti Sunarti Department of Aquaculture, Cokroaminoto University of Makassar, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan KM 11, Makassar, South Sulawesi, 90245, Indonesia.
Akbar Marzuki Tahya
[email protected]
Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Aquaculture Study Program, Tadulako University, Jl. Soekarno-Hatta, KM 9 Palu, Central Sulawesi, 94118, Indonesia.

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2025): In Press

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January 26, 2025

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Mud crabs grow through molting, a process during which they become highly vulnerable to predation. This makes molting management crucial in crab aquaculture, including practices utilizing crab boxes. Environmental factors such as lunar cycles influence molting in natural habitats. However, research is limited to molting in controlled environments with closed recirculation systems that offer environmental stability, water resource efficiency, and precise feed management. This study investigated the effects of the lunar phase on the molting stages of mud crabs reared in a closed recirculation system. A total of 40 Scylla olivacea specimens were reared for three months to observe molting patterns across eight lunar phases: new moon (NM), waxing crescent (WXC), first quarter (FQ), waxing gibbous (WXG), full moon (FM), waning gibbous (WG), last quarter (LQ), and waning crescent (WNC). Overall, 77.5% of crabs were molted during the study period. No molting occurred during the WXC, WXG, WNC, and WG phases. Molting prevalence was higher during FM (22.5±2.5%) and NM (20±2.9%) phases compared to FQ (17.5±1.4%) and LQ (17.5±1.4%). Post-molting weight gain was 31.7±5.9 (NM), 32.2±4.4 (FQ), 31.2±5.9 (FM), and 27±3.2 (LQ), while carapace width (CW) increased by 9.0±1.6 (NM), 8.5±1.3 (FQ), 9.5±2.4 (FM), and 8.2±1.77 mm (LQ), respectively. The results showed molting frequency and growth did not differ significantly between lunar phases NM, FQ, FM and LQ. In closed recirculation aquaculture systems where natural fluctuations such as tidal changes were eliminated, molting remained associated with the lunar cycle, suggesting the persistence of instincts and circadian rhythms in mud crabs in controlled environments. This study provides valuable insights for mud crab farmers, particularly for optimizing productivity by understanding the influence of lunar phases on molting in closed recirculation systems.

Serdiati, N., Safir, M., Sunarti, S., & Tahya, A. M. (2025). Do lunar cycles affect molting of mud crabs Scylla olivacea reared in a closed recirculation system?. International Journal of Aquatic Biology, 13(1), 15–22. https://doi.org/10.22034/ijab.v13i1.2386

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