Epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura: Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil
Gastropod shells occupied by hermit crabs are an important attachment substrate for epifauna, and these shells are often damaged. The present study aimed to characterize the epibionts and extent of damage for gastropod shells occupied by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Moreira, 1901). Sample...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia
2010-04-01
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| Series: | Zoologia (Curitiba) |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-46702010000200010 |
| _version_ | 1797964913911529472 |
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| author | Luciane Ayres-Peres Fernando L. Mantelatto |
| author_facet | Luciane Ayres-Peres Fernando L. Mantelatto |
| author_sort | Luciane Ayres-Peres |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gastropod shells occupied by hermit crabs are an important attachment substrate for epifauna, and these shells are often damaged. The present study aimed to characterize the epibionts and extent of damage for gastropod shells occupied by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Moreira, 1901). Samples were collected monthly over a period of one year (from July 2002 through June 2003), in the Caraguatatuba and Ubatuba regions, on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil. The sampling was performed using a fishing boat equipped with double-rig nets. The shells were identified and weighed. Loxopagurus loxochelis occupied 14 gastropod shell species in Caraguatatuba and five in Ubatuba. In the two areas, approximately 55% of these gastropod shells bore epibionts, and a significantly large number (p < 0.05) showed no damage. The presence of epibionts did not significantly change the mean weight of shells. This cover may provide camouflage to the animals when they are associated with the sandy substrate, which possibly affects the occupancy of the shells by the hermit crabs. Undamaged shells may reflect a high availability of shells in good condition in the environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:52:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8eaf17b9478f4a1787ebbb24bb5ae5d9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1984-4670 1984-4689 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:52:10Z |
| publishDate | 2010-04-01 |
| publisher | Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Zoologia (Curitiba) |
| spelling | doaj.art-8eaf17b9478f4a1787ebbb24bb5ae5d92023-01-03T06:11:58ZengSociedade Brasileira de ZoologiaZoologia (Curitiba)1984-46701984-46892010-04-0127222222710.1590/S1984-46702010000200010Epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura: Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo, BrazilLuciane Ayres-PeresFernando L. MantelattoGastropod shells occupied by hermit crabs are an important attachment substrate for epifauna, and these shells are often damaged. The present study aimed to characterize the epibionts and extent of damage for gastropod shells occupied by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Moreira, 1901). Samples were collected monthly over a period of one year (from July 2002 through June 2003), in the Caraguatatuba and Ubatuba regions, on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil. The sampling was performed using a fishing boat equipped with double-rig nets. The shells were identified and weighed. Loxopagurus loxochelis occupied 14 gastropod shell species in Caraguatatuba and five in Ubatuba. In the two areas, approximately 55% of these gastropod shells bore epibionts, and a significantly large number (p < 0.05) showed no damage. The presence of epibionts did not significantly change the mean weight of shells. This cover may provide camouflage to the animals when they are associated with the sandy substrate, which possibly affects the occupancy of the shells by the hermit crabs. Undamaged shells may reflect a high availability of shells in good condition in the environment.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-46702010000200010CrustaceaDecapodaexobiontincrustation |
| spellingShingle | Luciane Ayres-Peres Fernando L. Mantelatto Epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura: Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil Zoologia (Curitiba) Crustacea Decapoda exobiont incrustation |
| title | Epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura: Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil |
| title_full | Epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura: Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura: Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura: Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil |
| title_short | Epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis (Anomura: Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil |
| title_sort | epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab loxopagurus loxochelis anomura diogenidae on the northern coast of sao paulo brazil |
| topic | Crustacea Decapoda exobiont incrustation |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-46702010000200010 |
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