Plasticity in shell selection behaviour by the endemic hermit crab Diogenes alias (Anomura, Diogenidae) from the northeastern Arabian Sea, India

Abstract Selection of gastropod shells as shelter by hermit crabs in controlled experiments would provide useful information on the utility of these shells in nature. In this study, shell size and species preferences of Diogenes alias from the northeastern Arabian Sea were quantified by free choice...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Crustaceana 2020-10, Vol.93 (9-10), p.1135-1152
Main Authors: Nirmal, T, Nuzaiba, P. M, Da Silva, Alexandre R, Kumar, A. Pavan, Kumar, A. Biju, Sreekanth, G. B, Chakraborty, S. K, Nayak, B. B, Jaiswar, A. K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Crustaceans
Decapoda
Marine crustaceans
Marine molluscs
Shells
Tibia
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Summary:Abstract Selection of gastropod shells as shelter by hermit crabs in controlled experiments would provide useful information on the utility of these shells in nature. In this study, shell size and species preferences of Diogenes alias from the northeastern Arabian Sea were quantified by free choice experiments. Males of D. alias, prefer Indothais lacera and Tibia curta, when choice was given; no differences were found for other demographic groups. All hermit crabs occupied larger shells than the shells they occupied in nature. The best correlation was observed between internal volume, weight, and aperture width of the shell with the size of the hermit crab. This pattern has also been reported for other species (i.e., Clibanarius albidigitus, Calcinus tibicen, and C. obscurus). Furthermore, the present study highlights the importance of optimal resources in a scarce environment.
ISSN:0011-216X
1568-5403
0011-216X
DOI:10.1163/15685403-bja10038