FAUNA AND FLORA OF MANGROVE SWAMPS
181
The pattern in other parts of the Indo-west-Pacific varies a little
from this. Only Pwiophthalmodon schlosseri and members of the
Periophthalmus kalolo group of species extend into Queensland where
Periophthalmus kalolo descends to lower levels than in Malaya, for i t
reaches the seaward fringes. Mud-skippers of the latter group alone
reach eastern Africa. I n Australia Macrophthalmus latreillei, Uca
coarctata and Uca dussumieri are accompanied by two others, Uca
sp. around Darwin and Uca (pink claw) in Queensland. I n eastern
Africa Uca urvillei (H.M.-Edw.) and U . gainzardi are common to
abundant. U . dussumieri reaches Madagascar but has not yet been
recorded from the African continent.
Phascolosoma lurco (Selenka and de Man) is a sipunculid often very
abundant in these muds.
b. Eroding shores
When as a result of vagaries of tidal currents a mangal is being
eroded, a “ salting cliff” or ‘‘ mangrove scarp ” will develop, and in the
crevices so provided several species of xanthid crab may be found. I n
Malaya these include Epixanthus dentatus White, Eurycarcinus integrif r o m de Man, Beteropanope eucratoides Stimps., H . glabra Stimps.,
Myomenippe hardwickii Gray and Ozius guttatus H.M.-Edw. It is of
interest that in southern Malaya, E . integrifrons should be confined to
these erosion cliffs while E. natalensis (Krauss) on the coast of eastern
Africa runs around the mangal forest floor from the seaward fringes
into the rhizophora and bruguiera forests (Johnson, personal communication, and my own observations).
VI. SPECIALIZATIONS SHOWN BY THE FAUNA
A. Birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians
The birds and mammals associated with mangals show no specializations to this environment. The nesting groups of birds and the roosting
birds and flying foxes are using the mangal purely as sanctuaries where
there is little likelihood of disturbance. Many of the birds use the
creeks of the mangal in the same way as other individuals of the same
species use freshwater streams in open country inland and far from
the coast.
Most of the reptiles display the characteristic flattened tails shown
by many other aquatic reptiles and some have salt-secreting glands
associated with the lacrymal glands.
Gordon et al. (1961) and Gordon and Tucker (1965) record that
crab-eating frogs Rana cancrivora, both as adults and as tadpoles, are
euryhaline. Under experimental conditions this lndo-Malaysian frog
181
The pattern in other parts of the Indo-west-Pacific varies a little
from this. Only Pwiophthalmodon schlosseri and members of the
Periophthalmus kalolo group of species extend into Queensland where
Periophthalmus kalolo descends to lower levels than in Malaya, for i t
reaches the seaward fringes. Mud-skippers of the latter group alone
reach eastern Africa. I n Australia Macrophthalmus latreillei, Uca
coarctata and Uca dussumieri are accompanied by two others, Uca
sp. around Darwin and Uca (pink claw) in Queensland. I n eastern
Africa Uca urvillei (H.M.-Edw.) and U . gainzardi are common to
abundant. U . dussumieri reaches Madagascar but has not yet been
recorded from the African continent.
Phascolosoma lurco (Selenka and de Man) is a sipunculid often very
abundant in these muds.
b. Eroding shores
When as a result of vagaries of tidal currents a mangal is being
eroded, a “ salting cliff” or ‘‘ mangrove scarp ” will develop, and in the
crevices so provided several species of xanthid crab may be found. I n
Malaya these include Epixanthus dentatus White, Eurycarcinus integrif r o m de Man, Beteropanope eucratoides Stimps., H . glabra Stimps.,
Myomenippe hardwickii Gray and Ozius guttatus H.M.-Edw. It is of
interest that in southern Malaya, E . integrifrons should be confined to
these erosion cliffs while E. natalensis (Krauss) on the coast of eastern
Africa runs around the mangal forest floor from the seaward fringes
into the rhizophora and bruguiera forests (Johnson, personal communication, and my own observations).
VI. SPECIALIZATIONS SHOWN BY THE FAUNA
A. Birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians
The birds and mammals associated with mangals show no specializations to this environment. The nesting groups of birds and the roosting
birds and flying foxes are using the mangal purely as sanctuaries where
there is little likelihood of disturbance. Many of the birds use the
creeks of the mangal in the same way as other individuals of the same
species use freshwater streams in open country inland and far from
the coast.
Most of the reptiles display the characteristic flattened tails shown
by many other aquatic reptiles and some have salt-secreting glands
associated with the lacrymal glands.
Gordon et al. (1961) and Gordon and Tucker (1965) record that
crab-eating frogs Rana cancrivora, both as adults and as tadpoles, are
euryhaline. Under experimental conditions this lndo-Malaysian frog