Temporal constraints and female preference for burrow width in the fiddler crab, Uca mjoebergi

Reaney, Leeann T.; Backwell, Patricia R. Y.

doi:10.1007/s00265-007-0383-5

Cited by 95 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Females of fiddler crab species that select thermal environments for incubation make choices that are predictable across the tidal cycle and between seasons. In Australia, Uca mjoebergi females that mated earlier in the tidal cycle chose mates with wider, cooler burrows, thus choosing longer incubation periods for their embryos (Reaney & Backwell 2007 Table 4. Uca deichmanni and U. terpsichores.…”

Section: Uca Terpsichoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing error in reproductive timing caused by temperature variation: interspecific differences in behavioural adjustment by fiddler crabs

Kerr¹,

Christy²,

Collin³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Section: Uca Terpsichoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing error in reproductive timing caused by temperature variation: interspecific differences in behavioural adjustment by fiddler crabs

Kerr¹,

Christy²,

Collin³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Long incubation times increase potential exposure to a wide range of temperatures, especially during low tide, which could result in higher variance in development time and thus weaker synchrony in the timing of larval release. Female crabs in warm upwelling regions appear to adjust the timing of fertilization, regulate their depth in burrows and choose the width of burrows during courtship to compensate for variation in development rates of embryos arising from small changes in temperature (Christy et al 2001, Reaney & Backwell 2007. However, these compensatory behaviors may be less effective when cold temperatures lengthen incubation periods, especially for species that live in depressions under rocks rather than in burrows (Christy 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weak synchrony in the timing of larval release in upwelling regimes

Morgan¹,

White²,

McAfee³

et al. 2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Intertidal crabs in diverse habitats worldwide release larvae synchronously during nocturnal spring high tides. This expedites seaward transport of the larvae to beyond high density areas of predatory fishes under the cover of darkness. We found that 4 species of intertidal crabs along the west coast of the USA shared this reproductive timing pattern. As in other mixed semidiurnal tidal regimes, biweekly patterns of larval release were more closely synchronized with the tidal amplitude cycle than the lunar cycle, and some crabs released larvae in daylight. However, unlike other places in the world, larval release was weakly synchronized to environmental cycles regardless of interspecific differences in vertical distributions on the shore. We provide evidence that weak synchrony in the timing of larval release in upwelling regimes can result from exposure to environmental variation over long incubation periods of externally brooded embryos. According to the prevailing paradigm, weaker synchrony in the timing of larval release will increase predation by planktivorous fishes in upwelling regimes. Weak synchrony in the timing of larval release should increase larval mortality in a wide array of animals that brood embryos in the intertidal zone, regardless of the selective force operating, and it could contribute to recruitment limitation in upwelling regimes.

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“…The male then leaves, sealing the female in the burrow where she spends 12-20 days incubating her eggs (e.g. Christy, 1987;Backwell & Passmore, 1996;Nakasone & Murai, 1998;Yamaguchi, 2001;Reaney & Backwell, 2007). The secondary tactic males use to secure a mating is to approach a feeding neighbouring female and attempt to mate with her on the surface, near her burrow (surface mating).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies on fiddler crabs have determined that male mating success in underground mating is dependent on multiple factors including burrow characteristics (Backwell & Passmore, 1996, Reaney & Backwell, 2007 wave rate (Reaney et al, 2008;Reaney, 2009) wave pattern (Backwell et al, 1999;Milner et al, 2011;Kahn et al, 2014), UV (Detto & Backwell, 2009) and male size (Backwell & Passmore, 1996;Nakasone & Murai, 1998;Reaney, 2009;Milner et al, 2011;Ribeiro et al, 2010;Slatyer et al, 2012). Females of some species preferentially visit larger males but this preference can vary with season (Reaney & Backwell, 2007; and also over a breeding cycle (Backwell & Passmore, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Alternative mating tactics and male mating success in two species of fiddler crab

Dyson

Backwell

2016

Behav

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The use of alternative male mating tactics can determine the strength of sexual selection on male traits and have implications for sexual dimorphism. We examine size-based mating success in two species of fiddler crabs where males use each of two alternative tactics to obtain matings. In Uca annulipes, larger males were more successful when using the primary mating tactic (burrow mating) but the full size range of males mated when using the secondary tactic (surface mating). In Uca urvillei, both burrow and surface mating males were larger than the average sized male in the population. Standardised directional selection gradients indicated that selection on male size was stronger in U. urvillei than U. annulipes, reflecting the differences between species in male mating success. Our results also showed that sexual size dimorphism was greater in the species with stronger sexual selection on male size than in the species with weaker sexual selection. (150 words) 1

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Temporal constraints and female preference for burrow width in the fiddler crab, Uca mjoebergi

Cited by 95 publications

References 28 publications

Reducing error in reproductive timing caused by temperature variation: interspecific differences in behavioural adjustment by fiddler crabs

Reducing error in reproductive timing caused by temperature variation: interspecific differences in behavioural adjustment by fiddler crabs

Weak synchrony in the timing of larval release in upwelling regimes

Alternative mating tactics and male mating success in two species of fiddler crab

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