鲎保育的三赢策略

Horseshoe Crabs Conservation: A Triple Winning Strategy

关键词:  鲎  中国鲎  圆尾鲎  保育策略  生态文明

Key words:  Horseshoe crabs  Chinese horseshoe crabs(Tachypleus tridentatus)  mangrove horseshoe crabs(Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda)  wetland conservation strategy  ecological civilization

摘要:

鲎有活化石之称,不仅是古生物学的重要研究对象,亦是医药试剂的原料,保育鲎不仅维系了人类生存,更是促进人类文明的跃升。但近年来,鲎被人类大量捕食、采血及破坏栖息地,种群大规模下降,迫切需要得到保育。根据世界自然保护联盟(IUCN)指南,鲎的物种保育工作以划设鲎保护区、增加鲎的种群量以及促进大众参与保育为重点。研究结果显示:在中国南部沿海,中国鲎(Tachypleus tridentatus)与圆尾鲎(Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda)的稚鲎共同栖息在有红树林分布的河口,这两种鲎的食物中大约60%的碳源来自海草衍生的食物;在户外养殖条件下,稚鲎与方斑东凤螺(Babylonia areolata)混养能够加速稚鲎脱壳率并提高存活率,因而可以获得大量适合放流的稚鲎(3龄)。本文在现有的研究成果基础上提出鲎保育的三赢策略:支持有效的海岸及河口保护区经营管理,在保护区内维系鲎的种群,对大众与小区进行鲎资源的明智利用宣教。

Abstract:

As a living fossil, the horseshoe crab is not only an important research object in paleontology, but also a raw material for medical reagents.Horseshoe Crabs Conservation not only sustains human existence, but also promotes the leap of human civilization.However, in recent years, populations of horseshoe crabs have greatly declined on a large scale due to habitat destruction and overharvesting for both food and blood extraction.There is an urgent need for conservation.IUCN guidelines for critical conservation include establishing protected areas, increasing population abundance and promoting public participation.The results show that juvenile Tachypleus tridentatus and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda live together in mangroves at the estuary of the southern coast of China.About 60% of the carbon source in both species of food comes from seagrass.In outdoor culturing conditions, the polyculture of juvenile T.tridentatus and Babylonia areolata can accelerate their molting rates and increase survival rate, resulting in a large number of juveniles (3rd instar) suitable for releasing. Based on the existing research results, this paper proposed a triple-winning strategy to conserve the horseshoe crabs:Supporting for effective management of coastal and estuarine protected areas;sustaining the populations of horseshoe crab within the protected areas;promoting ecological civilization while providing education about wise use of horseshoe crab resources for the general public and local communities.