S. RAVICHANDRAN AND T. KANNUPANDI
Abstract
Studies on microbial load in the mangrove crabs and their environment revealed that Total Heterotrophic Bacterial (THB) count was higher in decomposed mangrove leaves than in undecomposed ones. High bacterial load was observed in the omnivorous feeder, Metapograpsus messor and low in herbivorous feeders (Sesarma andersoni, S. brockii and S. plicatum). The bacteria isolated from the crabs, water and sediment samples were identified as the species belonging to Bacillus, Micrococcus, corynebacterium, Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Flavobacterium and Enterobacter.