The commensal association of Calliactis polypus and the hermit crab Dardanus gemmatus in Hawaii
1970; NRC Research Press; Volume: 48; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1139/z70-056
ISSN1480-3283
Autores Tópico(s)Marine Biology and Ecology Research
ResumoCalliactis polypus (Forskål) lives as a commensal with various pagurids in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In trials with the Hawaiian species, Dardanus gemmatus, the anemone, unlike the European C. parasitica, displayed only slight activity towards crabs or molluscan shells. As reported previously, crabs display a highly active behavior pattern towards C. polypus, tapping and scratching the column and eventually transferring it to its shell. The mechanical stimuli applied by the crab cause C. polypus to relax so completely that it can be lifted easily off the surface to which it was attached. Unlike C. parasitica and C. tricolor under similar circumstances, C. polypus does not release its pedal disc unaided. The tentacles and pedal disc of the detached C. polypus are extremely sticky and adhere at once to any solid surface presented to them. This enables an anemone detached by a crab to settle quickly on the shell even when only a small area of the pedal disc or only a few tentacles come into contact with the shell when placed there by the crab. The discussion emphasizes these differences in the behavior of closely related species in achieving the same ends. It also stresses that C. polypus, possessing a relatively simple nervous system, displays an impressive repertoire of responses to specific stimuli in its association with its pagurid host.
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