scholarly journals Strawberry hermit crab (Coenobita perlatus, H. Milne Edwards, 1837) gastropod shell utilization pattern according to the type and size

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Jeremy ◽  
M. P. Patria
Keyword(s):  
Hermit Crab ◽  
Utilization Pattern ◽  
Gastropod Shell

scholarly journals Hermit crab (Decapoda, Anomura) attraction to dead gastropod baits in an infralittoral algae bank

2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juarez C. B. Pezzuti ◽  
Alexander Turra ◽  
Fosca P. P. Leite
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Physical Condition ◽  
Hermit Crab ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Hermit Crabs ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Utilization Pattern ◽  
Gastropod Shell ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Shield Length

Hermit crabs use gastropod shells as shelter and are adapted to follow chemical cues released from tissues of dead or injured gastropods as a way to find new and more adequate shells. The species composition, crab size, shell types adequacy and physical condition were compared between attracted individuals and crabs collected in previous samples. The previous sampling was carried out in five areas before each experiment. Then, five baits of crushed gastropods in nylon net bags were installed in these areas. Three samples were taken at 30min intervals, capturing all crabs within a circle of 60cm diameter. Attraction of hermit crabs was tested for four different gastropod baits to verify specificity of the chemical cues. Clibanarius antillensis, Pagurus brevidactylus and Paguristes tortugae were collected in the study area. Pagurus brevidactylus, the smallest species, turned out to be more attracted than the 2 other species. The results showed that attracted crabs utilized more gastropod shell types than that collected in previous samples, however shell utilization pattern did not differ between them. Attracted animals were slightly smaller (shield length) than those collected in the previous samples but did not present significant differences in shell adequacy and condition. The four experimental baits attracted the crabs in similar ways not indicating a specific response from the crabs. The fact that attracted animals were smaller suggested that the attraction to dead gastropods might enable the acquisition of a new and larger shell and, consequently, chains of shell exchange between the attracted crabs.

Niche overlap and resource partitioning between two intertidal hermit crab species

2017 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermina Alcaraz ◽  
Karla Kruesi
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Hermit Crab ◽  
Resource Partitioning ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Crab Species ◽  
Gastropod Shell ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Coexisting Species

The gastropod shell influences important aspects of the hermit crab's life; however, the shells are commonly a limited resource. Therefore, different hermit crab species that coexist in intertidal areas are commonly involved in intraspecific and interspecific competition for shells. We assess if differences in shell preference, exploitation ability, or competition by interference can explain the partitioning of shells between the coexisting species Calcinus californiensis and Clibanarius albidigitus. Clibanarius preferred shells of Nerita funiculata among the six gastropod shells tested, while Calcinus did not establish a hierarchy in shell preference. Therefore, the preference for gastropod shell species does not seem to diminish the competition for shells in the wild. Clibanarius identified and attended to chemical cues signalling potential sites of available shells (chemical cues of dead gastropods); Calcinus did not respond to these cues (competition by exploitation). However, Calcinus was more successful in obtaining a new shell by interspecific shell fighting than Clibanarius. Consequently, the use of better quality shells (intact shells) by Calcinus in the wild can be explained by its greater fighting ability compared with Clibanarius. The bias in shell distributions through dominance by shell fighting, more than by exploitation ability, has also been suggested for other hermit crab species of these genera.

scholarly journals Shell utilization pattern of the hermit crab Clibanarius vittatus (Crustacea, Anomura) in an estuary at São Vicente, State of São Paulo, Brazil

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno S. Sant'Anna ◽  
Cilene M. Zangrande ◽  
Alvaro L. D. Reigada ◽  
Marcelo A. A. Pinheiro
Keyword(s):  
Hermit Crab ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Hermit Crabs ◽  
Size Difference ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Utilization Pattern ◽  
Shell Size ◽  
Stramonita Haemastoma ◽  
Clibanarius Vittatus ◽  
Shield Length

We evaluated the gastropod shell utilization pattern of the hermit crab Clibanarius vittatus (Bosc, 1802) at Pescadores Beach in São Vicente, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Specimens were collected monthly from May 2001 through April 2003, in the intertidal zone at low tide. The crabs were weighed and their carapace shield length measured. All gastropod shells were identified and had their shell biometric parameters (total length and aperture length) measured (mm) and weighed (g). A total of 2,344 hermit crabs (644 males, 1,594 females, 45 ovigerous females and 61 individuals in intersex), using 13 species of gastropod shells, were collected. Stramonita haemastoma (Linnaeus, 1767), Cymatium parthenopeum (Von Salis, 1793) and Achatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822) comprised over 98% of all the shells. Male and intersex crabs were significantly larger than the females. This size difference strongly influenced the shell utilization pattern, principally in A. fulica, which has the largest shell size, that was only used by males and intersexual individuals of C. vittatus. Cymatium parthenopeum was the only shell species that showed a high determinant coefficient in all the biometric correlations evaluated. The high abundance of S. haemastoma shells and a strong correlation between crab size and shell aperture length established by a significant determination coefficient, indicated that C. vittatus uses this species as the principal resource for shell occupation at Pescadores Beach.

Regional variation in preference for gastropod shell species in the hermit crab Pagurus filholi

2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 893-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiromi Hasegawa ◽  
Satoshi Wada ◽  
Masakazu Aoki ◽  
Keiji Wada
Keyword(s):  
Hermit Crab ◽  
High Temperature Stress ◽  
Hermit Crabs ◽  
Energetic Cost ◽  
Gastropod Shell ◽  
Shell Weight ◽  
Thais Clavigera ◽  
Pagurus Filholi ◽  
Two Populations ◽  
Northern Japan

The preference for two shell species, Monodonta labio form confusa and Thais clavigera, was compared between two populations of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi from Oura Bay, Shimoda, central Japan and from Hakodate Bay, Hakodate, northern Japan. Hermit crabs from Oura Bay preferred T. clavigera to M. labio form confusa, whereas crabs from Hakodate Bay preferred M. labio form confusa. The shell of T. clavigera was more effective against desiccation and high temperature stress but heavier than M. labio form confusa. The preference of P. filholi from Oura Bay for T. clavigera may be attributable to the greater requirement for protection against higher physical stresses, even though a higher energetic cost related to the shell weight is incurred.

Host-Adoption in the Commensal Polychaete Nereis Fucata

1969 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Gilpin-Brown
Keyword(s):  
Hermit Crab ◽  
Hermit Crabs ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Gastropod Shell ◽  
Tactile Stimuli

The adults ofNereis fucata (Savigny) are commensal with hermit crabs and live within the upper whorls of the shells of their hosts. The mechanism of host adoption has been examined in juveniles reared in the laboratory. There are two distinct phases in their response to their host. The first is a searching phase during which the anterior two-thirds of the worm is extended from the tube and makes wide sweeping movements in its immediate vicinity. This phase can be initiated in the laboratory solely by vibrations in the substrate; the presence of a hermit crab is not required. The second phase begins as soon as a suitable gastropod shell is touched, when the worm immediately leaves its tube and enters the shell. In the laboratory this phase can be achieved without the presence of a hermit crab, so that it is presumably primarily dependent upon the tactile stimuli received from the surface of the shell. It is argued that in nature only hermit-crab shells would commonly give this combination of stimuli to the worm and that the association betweenNereis fucata and hermit crabs is not accidental but commensal.

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