The development of shell preferences by the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus

Elwood, Robert W.; McClean, Anne Marie; Webb, Linda

doi:10.1016/0003-3472(79)90032-0

Cited by 73 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…There are some records of alteration of crab shape in response to shell morphology in nature (McLaughlin & Bailey-Brock 1975, Vermeij 1978 and in laboratory experiments (Blackstone 1984, Blackstone & Joslyn 1984, but the effects of endogenous vs exogenous (intrinsic vs extrinsic) factors on shellspecies selection by hermit crabs are still controversial. While there is only indirect evidence that previous utilization of a certain shell species will predispose crabs to select them in future choices (Elwood et al 1979, Hahn 1998, other studies have refuted this hypothesis (Blackstone 1984, Elwood & Kennedy 1988. The present study experimentally tested the molding hypothesis and showed that it may explain patterns of shellspecies preferences in some hermit crabs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that past experience of hermit crabs with shells may lead to shell-related behavioral plasticity. In fact, learning is an important component in such modifications in crab-shell relationships (Elwood et al 1979, Jackson & Elwood 1989, Hazlett 1992, 1996.…”

Section: Shell-species Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…if shell preferences are habitat-induced? It has been demonstrated that shell-species preferences might vary ontogenetically (Elwood et al 1979, Blackstone & Joslyn 1984, but the extent to which they are due to availability or use of different shell types in different size classes was not investigated. Shell-size (Scully 1979) and shell-species (Blackstone 1985) preferences were demonstrated to vary between populations, and past experience was demonstrated to influence crab behavior (Jackson & Elwood 1989, Hazlett 1995 and shellsize selection (Hazlett 1992, but see Hazlett 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Shell-size (Scully 1979) and shell-species (Blackstone 1985) preferences were demonstrated to vary between populations, and past experience was demonstrated to influence crab behavior (Jackson & Elwood 1989, Hazlett 1995 and shellsize selection (Hazlett 1992, but see Hazlett 1996). The 'molding hypothesis' (Elwood et al 1979, Elwood & Kennedy 1988) was proposed to explain population differences in shell-species preferences, assuming that modifications in crab shell-preference after using a particular shell type would be a consequence of the effect of shells upon the crab, i.e. molding, modifying crab morphology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The molding hypothesis: linking shell use with hermit crab growth, morphology, and shell-species selection

Turra¹,

Leite²

2003

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The 'molding hypothesis' (Elwood et al. 1979. Anim Behav 27:940-946) predicts that shell-species selection by hermit crabs may be influenced by past experience in shell use through shell-imposed alterations in crab morphology. The present study was designed to test this hypothesis and to further the understanding of plasticity in the shell-species selection in hermit crabs. Shell use was demonstrated to influence crab growth and morphology. Individuals reared in shells of Tegula viridula attained larger sizes than individuals in shells of Morula nodulosa. Crab growth was also dependent on crab sex, since males reached larger sizes and presented longer intermolt periods than females. The most conspicuous influence of shell utilization on crab morphology was in dorso-ventral flattening, which occurred on a decreasing scale with the shell species, as follows: M. nodulosa > Cerithium atratum > T. viridula. Crabs from all treatments and those collected in nature in shells of Olivella minuta chose mainly shells of C atratum, but the previous experience of crabs strongly influenced their shell-species selection pattern. Individuals maintained in M. nodulosa shells selected M. nodulosa shells more frequently than individuals reared in T. viridula or C. atratum. The influence of past experience was demonstrated to depend on shell type, since patterns of shell-species selection of individuals reared in T. viridula or C. atratum were identical. These differences in the shell-species selection pattern directly reflected the differences in crab dorso-ventral flattening, i.e. dorso-ventrally compressed individuals (those in shells of M. nodulosa or O. minuta) showed a higher probability of selecting narrow-aperture shells than did 'rounded' individuals (those in shells of T. viridula or C. atratum). The weight of the selected shells at the end of the experiment depended on crab size instead of previous experience with different shell architectures.

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