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Hermit crabs are widespread detritivores in intertidal ecosystems. They are crustaceans that spend their lives inside the empty shells of deceased snails, using the shells for growth, reproduction, and protection. As a result, they are entirely dependent on snail populations, and any shift in these snail populations due to climate change or other anthropogenic factors could significantly impact hermit crab populations. Prior research suggests that different species have preferences for different types of shells. This study would investigate the shell preferences of Pagurus samuelis, Pagurus hirsutiusculus, and Pagurus granosimanus, the three most common hermit crabs in Monterey Bay rocky intertidal zones, and determine whether or not competition impacts their shell selection. Preliminary experiments involved removing individuals from their shells, placing them in a tank with an array of different shells, and recording which shells they ultimately chose to inhabit. Species were tested in isolation, so that interspecific competition did not affect shell selection. My results demonstrated that both P. samuelis and P. hirsutiusculus have a significant preference for Tegula funebralis shells, though the preference was much more pronounced for P. samuelis . P. granosimanus exhibited no significant preferences. Should I receive funding, future work will expand the sample size to verify the trends from the initial experiment. Future experiments will also involve multi-species trials to assess how competition affect shell selection. Finally, ecosystem-level experiments would be useful to determine how a change in snail populations might impact each species of hermit crab. |
