The fauna of mangrove forests is very diverse, ranging from fish, reptiles, birds, to molluscs. Not only in Indonesia, we can also find mangrove forests in a number of countries, such as Brazil, India, Florida in America, and even India. This area is a habitat for various living creatures, both animals (fauna) and other plants (flora).
Mangrove Forest Fauna and Its Characteristics
Mangrove forests or mangroves are coastal trees that thrive in hot or humid weather. It has roots that are submerged in a mixture of muddy soil, sand, and salt water.
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Mangroves can live well along beaches and estuaries in tropical and subtropical areas. Of the thousands of fauna that live in mangrove forests, here are some of them.
1. Mud Crab
Mud crabs have the scientific name, Scylla spp. We often encounter Scylla on the beaches of Indonesia, Asia, Africa and Australia.
It has unique characteristics, namely the surface of the skin is smooth. There are two types of mud crabs, male and female mud crabs.
The body part that differentiates it is its claws. Male mud crabs have longer claws. Meanwhile, female mud crabs have shorter claws.
It’s not just fauna that inhabits mangrove forests. This type of crab also plays an important role in the survival of mangrove forests.
One of them is that the mangrove tree leaves that mangrove crabs eat will easily decompose in the soil. Apart from that, it can help the energy circulation process in the mangrove ecosystem. This is due to the habit of mangrove crabs which like to make holes, thus helping the air exchange process.
Mangrove crabs have quite high economic value. Moreover, the cultivation method is relatively easy, resistant to disease attacks, and has relatively fast growth.
2. Couscous
The cuscus is a marsupial animal with soft fur. Generally, live in the dense canopy of mangrove forests and mangroves.
We can find cuscus in the mangrove forests of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia. Has the size of a house cat.
Its thick, wool-like fur covers and protects its entire body. This makes the cuscus look cute and adorable.
The shape and size of the eyes are large round. The eye color is quite varied, such as yellow, pale blue, or orange.
In addition, all the feathers can be cream or white. There are also cuscuses with mixed fur of both colors and spots scattered throughout their bodies.
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Like monkeys, cuscuses have opposable fingers and toes. Because of this body shape, cuscuses can climb trees easily.
3. Blood
Dugongs are one of the mangrove forest fauna which we can also call sea cows. This marine mammal has a strange habit, namely spending its days grazing on the seabed.
His favorite type of food is grass. In fact, this species often devours grass in large quantities, so it is also called the ocean vacuum cleaner. We often find dugongs in and around mangrove channels and shallow seas in coastal areas.
The muzzle is large with flexible and strong whiskers. This allows the dugong to uproot the seagrass.
Dugongs are shy animals and are reluctant to interact with humans. Because of this, it is difficult for us to catch and we are good at avoiding it.
Dugongs are on the list of endangered animals. The numbers are small and we don’t find many.
4. Hoatzin
Hoatzin is a fauna found mostly in the Amazon mangrove forests. This bird species has a strange shape from a combination of various types of birds.
One of its characteristics is having a spike-like crest. The eyes look like they are wearing a mask.
If we look from a distance, hoatzin looks like a rooster. However, when we look closely it looks like a cross between a turkey and a cockatoo.
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Hoatzin has a unique nickname, namely like a flying cow. This is because it is like a four-legged herbivore. Hoatzin is a type of bird that has a special rumen or foregut instead of a stomach.
These are some of the types of mangrove forest fauna that we can find. In order to maintain the survival of this fauna, make sure to always maintain the mangrove ecosystem properly. Such as not destroying it, not throwing rubbish carelessly, and not doing other detrimental actions. (R10/HR-Online)
2023-12-29 08:45:36
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