Rb. Garcia et Flm. Mantelatto, Shell selection by the tropical hermit crab Calcinus tibicen (Herbst, 1791) (Anomura, Diogenidae) from Southern Brazil, J EXP MAR B, 265(1), 2001, pp. 1-14
Citations number
39
Categorie Soggetti
Aquatic Sciences
Journal title
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
Shell preferences, as shown by laboratory choice experiments, are important
determinants of shell utilization under natural conditions. Size and shell
species preferences of the hermit crab Calcinus tibicen were determined fo
r the three most occupied [Stramonita haemastoma (Linnaeus, 1767), Leucozon
ia nassa (Gmelin, 1791) and Pisania auritula (Link, 1807)] shell species al
ong the rocky shore of Grande beach, Ubatuba, Brazil, taking into account t
he sexual condition of the individuals. All experiments were conducted unde
r laboratory conditions using a glass aquarium where the hermit crabs (inde
pendent on their sex condition) were placed naked with a large number of sh
ells of appropriate sizes. The chosen shells were determined after 72 h. Th
e preferred shell species and size were determined by regression analysis.
C. tibicen showed no significant choice among the three gastropod shell spe
cies. Shell size experiments revealed that the preference of hermit crabs w
as strongly associated with shell weight and internal volume. The shell ade
quacy index (SAD decreased with increasing crab size and showed that the po
pulation was occupying relatively adequate shells (SAI = 0.99 +/- 0.19). Th
e present data lead us to conclude that shell selection by hermit crabs inv
olves individual and sexual preferences taking into account the shell featu
res that best provide protection and survival, principally in the rocky int
er-tidal studied area, characterized by intense wave action. (C) 2001 Elsev
ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.