Downscaling hermit crab-gastropod network to demographic groups unveils recurrent patterns

Silva, Alexandre Rodrigues; Rodrigues, Gabriel Fellipe Barros; Paluski, Geovana Bastos; Vieira, Neida R.; Gregati, Rafael Augusto

doi:10.1080/03949370.2021.1989052

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…By doing this, hermit crabs could be able to avoid potential visual predators, as they have already been reported as part of the diet of some of these animals (Kuhlmann, 1992), that depend on light to hunt. Also, Clibanarius species often share the environment with other diogenid hermit crabs from the Calcinus genus (da Silva et al ., 2020, 2022; Kruesi et al ., 2022), and it has recently been argued that a different temporal niche could be a way to avoid shell competition (Kruesi et al ., 2022). In the same region of the present studies, C. antillensis coexists with Calcinus tibicen (Herbst, 1791), and even though the circadian rhythm of C. tibicen was not evaluated, this pattern found for C. antillensis could be a way to avoid such competition.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Movement pattern and population structure ofClibanarius antillensisStimpson, 1859 in south Brazil

Silva

Santos²,

Gryszyszyn

et al. 2022

J. Mar. Biol. Ass.

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Hermit crabs have soft abdomens and therefore must use empty gastropod shells as protection. Shell choices do not occur at random, and the animals often occupy shells with the best fit among the available ones. To live in intertidal and sublittoral zones, regions subjected to daily variations in abiotic factors, hermit crabs present a locomotory circadian rhythm. Clibanarius antillensis has been the object of several studies in Brazil's south-east, so this study was aimed at describing its population in the south of Brazil and its movement activity under laboratory conditions during night-time and daytime, while using two different shells. The animals were sampled from the Sepultura and Lagoinha beaches, in the state of Santa Catarina through free diving. Sex ratio was skewed for males, with ovigerous females present during the whole year but with a spring peak. Males were more abundant than females, ovigerous females and intersex individuals, being predominant in all size-classes analysed. The hermit crabs occupied mainly two gastropod shells: Cerithium atratum and Agathistoma viridulum, and ovigerous females used only the first. Clibanarius antillensis showed nocturnal activity and the animals using C. atratum shells were more active than those using A. viridulum. Cerithium atratum shells are lighter and less bulky than A. viridulum, implying that there might be a tradeoff in which the hermit crabs use lighter shells, that provide less protection in order to expend less energy and be more active.

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