Spatial and temporal aspects of reproduction in North Carolina fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator Bosc)

Salmon, Michael; Hyatt, Gary W.

doi:10.1016/0022-0981(83)90146-6

Cited by 81 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Male reproductive rhythm in synchrony with the female lunar or semilunar reproductive cycle has been suggested as an adaptation to female reproductive activity (Christy 1978;Omori 1995;Rahman et al 2000). In intertidal crabs, previous studies supported this theory by showing that male courtship synchronously corresponds to female receptivity (e.g., Greenspan 1982;Salmon and Hyatt 1983;Salmon 1987;Christy et al 2001). However, reproductive synchrony is not sufficient to show that female receptivity controls male reproductive activity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…The theory states that females have evolved their endogenous reproductive cycle to release larvae usually in spring tides when both they and their larvae are least vulnerable to predators. In accordance with this scenario, male courtship synchronization was understood as a corresponding adaptation to female receptivity to increase reproductive success (Christy 1978;Salmon and Hyatt 1983;Moritto and Wada 1997;Christy et al 2001). Despite accumulating information on the female reproductive cycle, however, there is a lack of studies on the cause of reproductive synchrony of males.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of food availability on the semilunar courtship rhythm in the fiddler crab Uca lactea (de Haan) (Brachyura: Ocypodidae)

Kim

Choe

2003

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

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Semilunar or lunar reproductive rhythms that follow tidal cycles are common in marine animals. For brachyuran crabs, an adaptive explanation for the synchronous release of larvae in phase with the tidal cycle is that females release larvae when their offspring are best able to escape predators. As a corollary to this hypothesis, the synchronous male reproductive cycle is selected to be in phase with female receptivity. As an alternative hypothesis, we propose that variation in food abundance influences the onset and intensity of the semilunar courtship cycle. We tested this hypothesis in male fiddler crabs {Uca lactea) by experimentally manipulating food availability for 4 weeks. Food-supplemented males built more semidomes and waved for more days than did fooddeprived males or untreated control males. Moreover, food-supplemented males began courtship earlier and the median courtship day advanced with an increase in food. Courtship intensity was not related to crab size. These results provide the first evidence in marine animals that changes in food abundance due to the tides, and hence in phase with the semilunar cycle, influence male reproductive rhythm.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of food availability on the semilunar courtship rhythm in the fiddler crab Uca lactea (de Haan) (Brachyura: Ocypodidae)

Kim

Choe

2003

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

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“…Sasekumar, 1974) and pitfall traps (e.g. Salmon and Hyatt, 1983). Visual counts were ineffective in the reference locations because the accumulation of leaf litter and density of mangrove saplings made the crabs difficult to identify and count; few species were recorded by this method.…”

Section: Crab Assemblagementioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of habitat modification in mangroves on the structure of mollusc and crab assemblages

Skilleter

Warren

2000

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology

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The abundance and species richness of mollusc and crab assemblages were examined in a subtropical mangrove forest in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, which has been disturbed and damaged by the construction of a wooden boardwalk and a path. Sections of the forest immediately adjacent to the boardwalk and path were compared with reference areas to determine whether changes to the small-scale structural complexity within the forest affected the benthic fauna. The disturbed area was characterised by having 65-80% fewer pneumatophores, significantly fewer species and individuals of molluscs, but significantly more species and individuals of crabs than the reference areas.The abundance of mangrove pneumatophores and the attached epiphytic algae were manipulated at two sites to determine whether observed differences in these features could account for the differences in the assemblage of molluscs in the disturbed area of the forest compared with reference areas. Five experimental treatments were used: undisturbed controls, pneumatophore removals (abundance reduced by ca. 65%), epiphytic algal removals (algae removed from ca. 65% of pneumatophores), pneumatophore disturbance controls and algal disturbance controls. The experimental reduction of the abundance of mangrove pneumatophores and the associated epiphytic algae led to significant declines (by as much as 83%) in the number of molluscs utilising the substratum in the modified plots. There was no significant difference in the abundance of molluscs in the pneumatophore and algal removal plots suggesting any effect was primarily related to removal of the epiphytic algae from the surface of the pneumatophores.The responses by the biota to the changes in the physical environment demonstrate that even relatively small-scale modifications to the physical structure of subtropical mangrove forests can lead to significant effects on the diversity and abundance of macrobenthic organisms in these habitats. Such modifications have the potential to cause cascading effects at higher trophic levels with a deterioration in the value of these habitats as nursery and feeding grounds. Future efforts at conservation of these estuarine environments must focus on the prevention or reduction of modifications to the physical structure and integrity of the system, rather than just on the prevention of loss of entire patches of habitat.

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“…Para o pleno exercício de suas atividades, é necessário existir uma conjunção dos fatores presença da luz do sol, temperatura adequada, ausência de ventos fortes e maré baixa (CRANE 1975). Entretanto, algumas espécies como U. pugilator no litoral da Carolina do Norte, Estados Unidos, têm atividades durante as marés baixas noturnas (SALMON & HYATT 1983 azil. azil.…”

unclassified

“…Dentre as variáveis abióticas importantes que influenciam a distribuição e a abundância destes animais estão a temperatura (CRANE 1975), gradiente de salinidade (CRANE 1975, THURMAN 1984, 1987, BARNWELL 1986, tipo de solo (BARNWELL 1986, THURMAN 1987, nível do substrato em relação à altura da maré (THURMAN 1987), grau de dessecação do biótopo (THURMAN 1984(THURMAN , 1998, presença de vegetação e o tipo do emaranhado de suas raízes (POWERS & COLE 1976, RINGOLD 1979, SALMON & HYATT 1983, THURMAN 1987, NOBBS 2003.…”

unclassified

Distribuição e abundância dos caranguejos Uca Leach (Crustacea, Decapoda, Ocypodidae) na Baía de Guaratuba, Paraná, Brasil

Masunari

2006

Rev. Bras. Zool.

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Um estudo sobre distribuição espacial e abundância dos chama-marés Uca Leach, 1814 foi realizado na Baía de Guaratuba, Estado do Paraná. Foram coletados chama-marés de dez biótopos ao longo de um gradiente de salinidade de zero a 32 dentro da Baía de Guaratuba. Foram obtidas sete espécies, entre as quais, Uca mordax (Smith, 1870) que foi registrada somente em biótopos inundados por águas de baixas salinidades (de zero a 16). As demais espécies mostraram tolerância a uma ampla variação de salinidade, mas Uca maracoani (Latreille, 1802-1803) e Uca leptodactyla Rathbun, 1898 predominaram em águas mais salinas, de 14 a 32, enquanto U. burgersi Holthuis, 1967, Uca rapax (Smith, 1870), Uca thayeri Rathbun, 1900 e Uca uruguayensis Nobili, 1901 foram coletadas em mais de três biótopos e mostraram uma tendência ao eurihalismo, suportando salinidades de 4 a 32. Entretanto, outras características do substrato tais como porcentagem relativa de cascalho/areia/silte/argila, teor de matéria orgânica e presença de marismas, também, influenciaram a distribuição espacial destes caranguejos. U. leptodactyla foi registrada com densidade máxima de 240 ind.m-2, o mais alto valor conhecido.

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Spatial and temporal aspects of reproduction in North Carolina fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator Bosc)

Cited by 81 publications

References 16 publications

The effect of food availability on the semilunar courtship rhythm in the fiddler crab Uca lactea (de Haan) (Brachyura: Ocypodidae)

The effect of food availability on the semilunar courtship rhythm in the fiddler crab Uca lactea (de Haan) (Brachyura: Ocypodidae)

Effects of habitat modification in mangroves on the structure of mollusc and crab assemblages

Distribuição e abundância dos caranguejos Uca Leach (Crustacea, Decapoda, Ocypodidae) na Baía de Guaratuba, Paraná, Brasil

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