Ecological studies of freshwater crabs are crucial for the conservation of the species and habitat protection. The West African freshwater crabs, Sudanonautes africanus, other species contain a significant amount of nutrient. Crabs are exploited by man and other animals for food. It contains chromium which acts with insulin in the metabolism of sugar helping the body to maintain normal blood glucose level. The West African freshwater species are going into extinction, with habitat destruction due to industrialization together with the low abundance of wild population.
The ecological factors of S. africanus including the Length Weight Relationship (LWR) and Condition Factor (CF) collected from three different selected water habitats Rivers Ala, Elegbin, and Futa wetland areas within Akure metropolitan area was carried out from November 2020 to June 2021 were studied. Total of two hundred and seventy-five (275) crabs were collected and examined, sex ratio (male: female) was 184:91; an indication that there were more males than females in this project sites.
The bacterial isolated from S.africanus were scanty klebsiella spp while Escherichia coli was found prevalence at the studied sites.
A positive isometric growth form was seen at Elegbim River for the month of April (104.95), while other months shows a negative allometry growth form. The LWR (W = aLb) studied also indicated that freshwater crabs (S. africanus) under a conducive and nutrient rich environment of the project sites reach 75mm, 76mm, and 98mm (River Ala, FUTA wetlands and Elegbin respectively) in carapace length (CL).
The result gotten from this study indicates that freshwater crabs S. africanus available in River Ala, River Elegbin and FUTA wetlands mostly have 0.04±0.00, 0.26±0.00, 0.59±0.57 respectively and FUTA wetlands has higher condition factor.