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Geographical variation of barricade-building behaviour in the intertidal brachyuran crab Ilyoplax pusilla

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2008

Fumiko Furukawa ,
Arisa Yamada ,
Mari Ohata  and
Keiji Wada
Fumiko Furukawa
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University, Nara, 630-8506Japan
Arisa Yamada
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University, Nara, 630-8506Japan
Mari Ohata
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University, Nara, 630-8506Japan
Keiji Wada*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University, Nara, 630-8506Japan
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Keiji Wada Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of ScienceNara Women's University, Nara, 630-8506Japan email: mbanzai@cc.nara-wu.ac.jp
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Abstract

The small dotillid crab Ilyoplax pusilla builds an earthen structure, termed barricade, close to its neighbour's burrow. Barricades function for territorial defence by deterring invasion by neighbours. Comparison of the frequency of barricade building in the breeding season among 5 localities across the geographical range of I. pusilla, showed higher values at more northern localities. In two localities differing in the frequency of barricade building, the response of crabs to artificial barricades placed near their burrows was examined. The artificial barricade was less often broken and more often avoided in the locality with the higher frequency of barricades. These results suggest that the local difference in frequency of barricade building is correlated with a difference in how crabs respond to this earthen barrier.

Keywords

Ilyoplax pusilladotillid crabbarricadeintertidalgeographical variation
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Issue 5 , August 2008 , pp. 967 - 973
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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