Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T01:10:59.210Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A cleaning association between the oceanic crab Planes minutus and the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

John Davenport
John Davenport
Affiliation:
University Marine Biological Station, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland, KA28 OEG
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Columbus crabs, Planes minutus (L.) (Crustacea: Brachyura) are often found on the postero-ventral surfaces of sea turtles, particularly the loggerhead Caretta caretta (L.) (Testudines: Cheloniidae). There has been a general acceptance of a hypothesis that the crabs feed upon turtle faeces. However, evidence is presented here to demonstrate that Planes has a ‘cleaning’ role, feeding on other epibionts (e.g. barnacle cyprids, parasitic amphipods) during daylight hours. At night it is likely that the crabs feed on neustonic animals (e.g. euphausids). The species is also cannibalistic.

Type
Short Communications
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 74 , Issue 3 , August 1994 , pp. 735 - 737
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bjorndal, K.A., 1980. Nutrition and grazing behaviour of the green turtle Chelonia mydas. Marine Biology, 56, 147–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bjorndal, K.A., 1985. Nutritional ecology of sea turtles. Copeia, 1985, 736–751.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bolten, A.B., Martins, H.R., Bjorndal, K. A., Cocco, M. & Gerosa, G., 1992. Caretta caretta (loggerhead). Pelagic movement and growth. Herpetological Review, 23, 116.Google Scholar
Brongersma, L.D., 1972. European Atlantic turtles. Leiden: E.J. Brill.Google Scholar
Caine, E.A., 1986. Carapace epibionts of nesting loggerhead sea turtles: Atlantic coast of U.S.A. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 95, 15–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carr, A.F., 1986a. Rips, FADS and little loggerheads. Bioscience, 36, 92–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carr, A.F., 1986b. New perspectives on the pelagic stage of sea turtle development. NOAA Technical Memoir NMFS-SEFC, no. 190, 36 pp. [Reprinted (1987) in Biological Conservation, 1, 103–121.]Google Scholar
Carr, A.F., 1987. Impact of nondegradable marine debris on the ecology and survival outlook of sea turtles. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 18(6B), 352–356.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chace, F.A. Jr, 1951. The oceanic crabs of the genera Planes and Pachygrapsus. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 101, no. 3272, 65–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crane, J., 1937. The Templeton Crocker Expedition. III. Brachygnathous crabs from the Gulf of California and the west coast of lower California. Zoologica, New York, 22,47–78.Google Scholar
Davenport, J., 1992. Observations on the ecology, behaviour, swimming mechanism and energetics of the neustonic grapsid crab, Planes minutus. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 72, 611–620.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dodd, C.K., 1988. Synopsis of the biological data on the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus 1758). Biological Report of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, 88(14), 110 pp.Google Scholar
Geiselman, J., 1983. The food web of the Sargassum community. Special Publication. Bermuda Biological Station for Research, 22, 261–270.Google Scholar
Hartnoll, R.G., 1971. The occurrence, methods and significance of swimming in the Brachyura. Animal Behaviour, 19, 34–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hitchcock, H. B., 1941. The coloration and color changes of the gulf-weed crab, Planes minutus. Biological Bulletin. Marine Biological Laboratory. Woods Hole, 80, 26–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penhallurick, R.D., 1990. Turtles off Cornwall, the Isles of Stilly and Devonshire. Truro: Dyllansow Pengwella.Google Scholar
Pouchet, G. & Guerne, J. De, 1886. Sur l'alimentation des tortues marines. Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences. Paris, 102, 877–879.Google Scholar
Roux, P., 1828. Crustaces de la Mediterranee set de son littoral. Paris.CrossRefGoogle Scholar