KENDRAPARA: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)in collaboration with Forest department and Centre for Research and Conservation of Indian Horseshoe Crabs (CRCIHC) of Fakir Mohan university tagged 12 horseshoe crabs at Khandia Muhan estuary near Chandipur beach of Balasore district on Sunday.
“For the first time in India, we fitted semi-metallic tags on the carapace of 12 horseshoe crabs at Khandia Muhan estuary. All the tags have a serial number and mobile number of Zoological Survey of India. The tags will help us track the migratory routes of the marine species,” said former wildlife biologist of Wildlife Institute of India and scientific advisor of Wildlife Trust of India, BC Chaudhary.
He said six pairs of the crabs were tagged and released in the sea. Tagging is most often conducted to obtain information on reproductive biology, movements and growth rates. It will help us study the horseshoe’s migratory route and areas of foraging. The tagging data will also prove the inter-connections of horseshoe crab population on Odisha coast, Chaudhary said.
India is the home of two species of horseshoe crabs, Tachypleus gigas and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda. ZSI is planning to propose the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for advanced research using modern techniques like satellite telemetry to gather more information on horseshoe crabs, said officer-in-charge of ZSI, Western Regional Centre Basudev Tripathy.