Mangrove Crab

Mangrove crab locally known as ‘alimango’ has a flat and broad body covered by a carapace. The front margin of the carapace has 6 spines between the eyes and 9 spines on each side of the anterolateral margin. The crab possesses 1 pair of claws, 3 pairs of walking legs, and 1 pair of flattened swimming legs.

Mangrove crab is one of the most economically important species due to its large size and fast growth, as well as high market value and acceptability. In 2025, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported the country’s total mangrove crab aquaculture production at 7,295.28 metric tons (MT). Central Luzon is the leading region with 5,052.77 MT, of which 4,483.39 MT came from the province of Pampanga. This is followed by Capiz and Bataan with 855.77 MT and 501.25 MT respectively. The three known species of mangrove crab in the Philippines are Scylla serrata, S. tranquebarica, and S. olivacea. They are distinguished by color patterns, relative size, spines, chromosome form, gamete development, and preferred habitats. In 2025, the average farmgate price of mangrove crab is PhP 441.37 per kilogram.

The Philippine mangrove crab production is undertaken using polyculture systems in 30% of brackishwater fishponds in the country. The industry is estimated to require 36-45 million crablets annually, which currently is sourced out from the wild.

The industry continues to face constraints in maintaining a reliable and sustainable supply of seedstock. The basic culture technologies have been developed for the major stages of production, including hatchery, nursery, grow-out, fattening, and soft-shell crab production. Several protocols have been developed and disseminated covering broodstock management, larval rearing, crablet production, nursery management, and grow-out culture. However, the availability and consistent production of hatchery-reared crablets remain major challenges. The limited supply of suitable broodstock and the relatively low survival of crab larvae and juveniles can constrain hatchery production. Consequently, some production systems continue to rely on wild-caught crablets to meet the requirements of grow-out farms. This dependence creates concerns regarding the reliability and sustainability of seedstock supply and can increase production costs when wild crablets become scarce or expensive. 

Another important concern is the high cost and limited availability of appropriate feeds. Traditional crab culture commonly uses low-cost fresh feeds such as fish, mollusks, and animal by-products. Although these feeds can support growth, their use can result in various issues such as feed availability, nutritional inconsistency, water quality, labor, and biosecurity. Disease prevention and biosecurity remain important throughout the production cycle. Poor water quality, inadequate sanitation, and infectious agents can result in significant mortality, particularly during hatchery and nursery operations. The inappropriate use of unregistered or prohibited chemicals and drugs may also pose risks to animal health, food safety, the environment, and industry sustainability. Greater emphasis is therefore needed on preventive health management, biosecurity, water-quality control, sanitation, and scientifically validated disease-control strategies.