This study investigated spatial and temporal patterns in relative numbers of 11 grapsid species in northern Australian mangrove forests.
The results indicated that Perisesarma spp., Neosarmatium meinerti
and an undescribed species of Episesarma were most abundant,
followed by Clistocoeloma merguiensis, Ilyograpsus paludicola, Sesarmoides borneensis, Metopograpsus frontalis and Sarmatium spp.
Mangrove assemblage was the most important spatial factor affecting the distribution and abundance of these species. Perisesarma sp. was most abundant in mid- and low-intertidal assemblages,
whereas N. meinerti and Episesarma sp. were largely limited to high intertidal assemblages.
In many cases, crab species occurrence and abundance were specific to certain assemblages, areas, aspects, and times during the two-year study period,
which probably reflects the specificity of species to particular environmental conditions