Food and feeding habits of the land crab Cardisoma armatum (Herklots, 1851) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinidae) in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa

Abstract The food and feeding habits of Cardisoma armatum Herklots, 1851 was investigated in Ehotile Islands National Park from January to December 2018. A total of 355 cardiac stomachs were examined, and the diet studied according to size, sex, and seasons. The relationship between the length of the intestine (Li) and carapace (Lc) was found to be log Li = –0.3203 + 1.0064 × log Lc. The relative importance of food (RIF) showed that C. armatum has an omnivorous diet with insectivorous tendency. Macrophytes, insects, crustaceans, molluscs, fishes, and oligochaete worms were the major feed. Macrophytes (RIF 64.17%) was the main prey, insects (RIF33.6%) a secondary prey, while molluscs (RIF 1.26%), crustaceans (RIF 0.7), fishes (RIF 0.14%), and oligochaetes (RIF 0.13%) were incidental prey. Macrophytes and insects were respectively the primary (RIF 59.35% and 57.79%) and secondary (RIF 37.51% and 39.33%) prey consumed by juveniles (Lc ˂ 64.44 mm) and adults (Lc ≥ 64.44 mm). There was a significantly different diet between males and females (P ˃ 0.05), between rainy and dry seasons (P ˃ 0.05) and a similar diet composition between juveniles (P ˂ 0.05) and adults (P ˂ 0.05).