Two species of Mediterranean hermit crabs, Calcinus ornatus (Roux) and Clibanarius erythropus (Latreille) were studied in the laboratory to examine some aspects of the “coexistence problem” (Hazlett, 1981). Evidence suggests that no competition exists between these sympatric species. First, although they both use the same type and size of shells, the two species occupy shells which differ in detail, Calcinus preferring epibiotic-covered shells. Second, the two species selected different microhabitats and showed different physiological resistance to physical stress: Clibanarius could resist dehydration and extremes of temperature and salinity better than Calcinus. Third, from the behavioural point of view, Clibanarius was more mobile than Calcinus, which resulted in faster exploitation of empty shells, and exhibited a greater tendency to aggregate. In turn, clustering may enhance the possibility of beneficial intraspecific shell exchange by triggering off a chain reaction; such an event, however, is rare. Conversely, neither interspecific shell switching nor dominance-subordinance relationships existed, although the two species seem to speak the same “language”.

Competition and coexistence in two Mediterranean hermit crabs, Calcinus ornatus (Roux) and Clibanarius erythropus (Latreille) (Decapoda, Anomura) / F. GHERARDI. - In: JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY. - ISSN 0022-0981. - STAMPA. - 143:(1990), pp. 221-238. [10.1016/0022-0981(90)90072-K]

Competition and coexistence in two Mediterranean hermit crabs, Calcinus ornatus (Roux) and Clibanarius erythropus (Latreille) (Decapoda, Anomura).

GHERARDI, FRANCESCA
1990

Abstract

Two species of Mediterranean hermit crabs, Calcinus ornatus (Roux) and Clibanarius erythropus (Latreille) were studied in the laboratory to examine some aspects of the “coexistence problem” (Hazlett, 1981). Evidence suggests that no competition exists between these sympatric species. First, although they both use the same type and size of shells, the two species occupy shells which differ in detail, Calcinus preferring epibiotic-covered shells. Second, the two species selected different microhabitats and showed different physiological resistance to physical stress: Clibanarius could resist dehydration and extremes of temperature and salinity better than Calcinus. Third, from the behavioural point of view, Clibanarius was more mobile than Calcinus, which resulted in faster exploitation of empty shells, and exhibited a greater tendency to aggregate. In turn, clustering may enhance the possibility of beneficial intraspecific shell exchange by triggering off a chain reaction; such an event, however, is rare. Conversely, neither interspecific shell switching nor dominance-subordinance relationships existed, although the two species seem to speak the same “language”.
1990
143
221
238
F. GHERARDI
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/592513
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