Hermit crabs (Pagurus spp.) at their northernmost range: distribution, abundance and shell use in the European Arctic
Hermit crabs are important components of Arctic benthic systems, yet baseline data on their densities and distribution patterns in this rapidly changing region are still scarce. Here we compile results of numerous research expeditions to Svalbard, the Barents Sea and northern Norway that were carrie...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Norwegian Polar Institute
2015-03-01
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| Series: | Polar Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/21412/pdf_16 |
| _version_ | 1818067750114820096 |
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| author | Piotr Balazy Piotr Kuklinski Maria Włodarska-Kowalczuk David Barnes Monika Kędra Joanna Legeżyńska Jan Marcin Węsławski |
| author_facet | Piotr Balazy Piotr Kuklinski Maria Włodarska-Kowalczuk David Barnes Monika Kędra Joanna Legeżyńska Jan Marcin Węsławski |
| author_sort | Piotr Balazy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hermit crabs are important components of Arctic benthic systems, yet baseline data on their densities and distribution patterns in this rapidly changing region are still scarce. Here we compile results of numerous research expeditions to Svalbard, the Barents Sea and northern Norway that were carried out from 1979 to 2011 by the Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences. The diversity of hermit crabs at the northern edge of their occurrence is very low; in Svalbard waters only one species (Pagurus pubescens) was detected. Another species (P. bernhardus), found in northern mainland Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, is likely to extend its distribution northward as the climate warms. Where the two species co-occur, competition between them probably accounts for the smaller sizes and poorer quality shells used by P. pubescens. The composition of the mollusc shells inhabited by these crabs differs between northern Norway and Svalbard, reflecting local mollusc species pools. Hermit crab densities were significantly higher than previously reported (max. mean 10 ind. m−2), suggesting their increasing level of dominance in benthic communities in the studied areas. The first to report the distribution of hermit crabs among habitats, this study showed that most individuals occurred at shallow depths (5–150 m), away from glacier termini and on hard bedrock rather than on soft substrata. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T15:28:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fca3c0d44148467db6cd1602afcbb548 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1751-8369 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T15:28:38Z |
| publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
| publisher | Norwegian Polar Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polar Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-fca3c0d44148467db6cd1602afcbb5482022-12-22T01:43:28ZengNorwegian Polar InstitutePolar Research1751-83692015-03-0134011710.3402/polar.v34.2141221412Hermit crabs (Pagurus spp.) at their northernmost range: distribution, abundance and shell use in the European ArcticPiotr Balazy0Piotr Kuklinski1Maria Włodarska-Kowalczuk2David Barnes3Monika Kędra4Joanna Legeżyńska5Jan Marcin Węsławski6 Marine Ecology Department, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55, PL-81-712 Sopot, Poland Marine Ecology Department, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55, PL-81-712 Sopot, Poland Marine Ecology Department, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55, PL-81-712 Sopot, Poland British Antarctic Survey, Madingley Road, High Cross, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK Marine Ecology Department, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55, PL-81-712 Sopot, Poland Marine Ecology Department, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55, PL-81-712 Sopot, Poland Marine Ecology Department, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55, PL-81-712 Sopot, PolandHermit crabs are important components of Arctic benthic systems, yet baseline data on their densities and distribution patterns in this rapidly changing region are still scarce. Here we compile results of numerous research expeditions to Svalbard, the Barents Sea and northern Norway that were carried out from 1979 to 2011 by the Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences. The diversity of hermit crabs at the northern edge of their occurrence is very low; in Svalbard waters only one species (Pagurus pubescens) was detected. Another species (P. bernhardus), found in northern mainland Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, is likely to extend its distribution northward as the climate warms. Where the two species co-occur, competition between them probably accounts for the smaller sizes and poorer quality shells used by P. pubescens. The composition of the mollusc shells inhabited by these crabs differs between northern Norway and Svalbard, reflecting local mollusc species pools. Hermit crab densities were significantly higher than previously reported (max. mean 10 ind. m−2), suggesting their increasing level of dominance in benthic communities in the studied areas. The first to report the distribution of hermit crabs among habitats, this study showed that most individuals occurred at shallow depths (5–150 m), away from glacier termini and on hard bedrock rather than on soft substrata.http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/21412/pdf_16Hermit crabsSvalbardArcticfjords |
| spellingShingle | Piotr Balazy Piotr Kuklinski Maria Włodarska-Kowalczuk David Barnes Monika Kędra Joanna Legeżyńska Jan Marcin Węsławski Hermit crabs (Pagurus spp.) at their northernmost range: distribution, abundance and shell use in the European Arctic Polar Research Hermit crabs Svalbard Arctic fjords |
| title | Hermit crabs (Pagurus spp.) at their northernmost range: distribution, abundance and shell use in the European Arctic |
| title_full | Hermit crabs (Pagurus spp.) at their northernmost range: distribution, abundance and shell use in the European Arctic |
| title_fullStr | Hermit crabs (Pagurus spp.) at their northernmost range: distribution, abundance and shell use in the European Arctic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hermit crabs (Pagurus spp.) at their northernmost range: distribution, abundance and shell use in the European Arctic |
| title_short | Hermit crabs (Pagurus spp.) at their northernmost range: distribution, abundance and shell use in the European Arctic |
| title_sort | hermit crabs pagurus spp at their northernmost range distribution abundance and shell use in the european arctic |
| topic | Hermit crabs Svalbard Arctic fjords |
| url | http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/21412/pdf_16 |
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