Pheromone communication in the reproductive behavior of the blue crab,Callinectes sapidus†

The relative roles of predation and sperm competition on the duration of the post-copulatory association between the sexes in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus

“…The level of sperm competition may not be as high in blue crabs, because non-virgin females may be more difficult to find and mate with than virgins. Pre-molt females attract males with a pheromone; however, post-molt females may be unable to produce the pheromone as they harden (Gleeson 1980). As a result, search times for non-virgins may be high and/or encounter rates may be low.…”

“…The seminal fluid portion of a male's ejaculate hardens over time and may form a sperm plug (Wenner 1989), suggesting a role for sperm competition in the post-copulatory association of males and females. However, it is not known whether female blue crabs can remate while their exoskeleton is hardening or whether post-molt females continue to attract males with a urine-borne pheromone (Gleeson 1980). This paper tests the predation and sperm competition hypotheses for the duration of the post-copulatory association between the sexes in blue crabs.…”

Adaptive significance of habitat selection by molting adult blue crabs Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun) within a subestuary of central Chesapeake Bay

“…A female approaching her maturation molt releases a pheromone that attracts males and elicits male courtship behavior (Gleeson, 1980). Some male decapods, including blue crabs, "cradle-carry" their mates and provide protection from predation, supply food, and assist in molting (Williams, 1984;Hooper, 1986).…”

Grooming behaviors and gill fouling in the commercially important blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and stone crab (Menippe mercenaria)

“…Per year, these fisheries can yield over $25 million (blue crabs; Guillory et al, 2001) and 2.6 million pounds (stone crabs: Puglisi, 2008). While much information is known about their migration (Engel, 1958;Wilber and Herrnkind, 1986), molting patterns (Cheung, 1973;Gleeson, 1980), mating behaviors (Savage, 1971;Jivoff and Hines, 1998), and reproductive life histories (Aguilar et al, 2008;Gerhart and Bert, 2008), only brief descriptions of grooming in these brachyuran crabs exist in the literature (Bauer 1981;Pearson and Olla, 1977;Simonson, 1985;Kuris, 1990).…”