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Shell partitioning of two sympatric hermit crabs, Pagurus middendorffii and P. brachiomastus, in north-eastern Hokkaido, Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2008

Takashi Oba ,
Satoshi Wada  and
Seiji Goshima
Takashi Oba*
Affiliation:
Toyama Prefectural Fisheries Research Institute, 364 Takatsuka, Namerikawa, Toyama 936-8536, Japan
Satoshi Wada
Affiliation:
Research Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Minato-cho, Hakodate 041-8611, Japan
Seiji Goshima
Affiliation:
Research Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Minato-cho, Hakodate 041-8611, Japan
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Takashi Oba, Research Faculty of Fisheries Sciences. Hokkaido University Minato-cho, Hakodate 041-8611, Japan email: takashi.oba@fish.hokudai.ac.jp
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Abstract

The distribution, reproductive biology and shell utilization pattern of two sympatric hermit crab species in Akkeshi, north-eastern Hokkaido, were examined. Although spatial distributions of Pagurus middendorffii and P. brachiomastus highly overlapped and their body sizes were similar, their shell utilization and breeding season markedly differed. Since interspecific differences in the shell utilization pattern agreed with the experimentally determined shell preference difference, we conclude that the interspecific difference in shell preference results in the shell utilization patterns observed in the field. The interspecific difference in the reproductive period, shell utilization pattern and shell preference are concluded to be factors that allow the coexistence of the two Pagurus species in Akkeshi. This study is an example of resource partitioning by coexisting hermit crabs.

Keywords

hermit crabcoexistenceresource utilizationshell preference
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Issue 1 , February 2008 , pp. 103 - 109
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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