title: Biological studies on the blue crab Portunus pelagicus and its parasitic infection in Kuwaiti waters.
abstract: The study investigated the parasites of symbiotic fauna of the blue crab, Portunus pelagicus and the environmental factors, which was lacking in Kuwait. P. pelagicus feeding habits was studied by examination of the digestive tract. The foregut (stomach) contents of 250 crabs (110 male & 140 female) collected from fish-market, Souq-Sharq, Edelyia capital governorate were investigated. A barnacle, Balanus sp. and staked barnacle Octolasmis sp. (Crustacea: Cirripedia) were found strongly firmly to the carapace, appendages and gills of 30% male crabs and 27% female ones. Endoparasites included unidentified immature trematode stages and nematode larvae in the muscular tissues of both sexes. The main food recovered included molluscs, crustaceans, fish bones and unidentified food materials. The results were reported, photographed and critically discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, College of Basic Education, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), Kuwait. bshm7000@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Bahija E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Al-Behbehani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003386:Brachyura / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D016266:Food Parasitology; D005880:Gills / Q000469:parasitology; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009348:Nematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D001468:Thoracica / Q000469:parasitology