The Enigmatic Life History of the Symbiotic Crab Tunicotheres moseri (Crustacea, Brachyura, Pinnotheridae): Implications for Its Mating System and Population Structure
| Autor: | J L Palazón, J. Antonio Baeza, Carlos Lira, Gonzalo Hernández, Juan Bolaños, Jesús Hernández |
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| Rok vydání: | 2012 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Larva Brachyura Ecology Host (biology) Zoology Biology Pinnotheridae biology.organism_classification Mating system Crustacean Brood Sexual dimorphism Sexual Behavior Animal Caribbean Region embryonic structures Animals Female Urochordata Symbiosis General Agricultural and Biological Sciences Paternal care |
| Zdroj: | Europe PubMed Central |
| ISSN: | 1939-8697 0006-3185 |
| DOI: | 10.1086/bblv223n3p278 |
| Popis: | Resource-monopolization theory predicts the adoption of a solitary habit in species using scarce, discrete, and small refuges. Life-history theory suggests that tempo- rarily stable parental dwellings favor extended parental care in species that brood embryos. We tested these two predic- tions with the symbiotic crab Tunicotheres moseri. This species exhibits abbreviated development and inhabits the atrial chamber of the scarce, structurally simple, long-lived, and relatively small ascidian Phalusia nigra in the Carib- bean. These host characteristics should favor a solitary habit and extended parental care (EPC) in T. moseri. As pre- dicted, males and females of T. moseri inhabited ascidians solitarily with greater frequency than expected by chance alone. The male-female association pattern and reverse sex- ual dimorphism (males females) additionally suggests a promiscuous "pure-search" mating system in T. moseri. Also in agreement with theoretical considerations, T. moseri displays EPC; in addition to embryos, females naturally retain larval stages, megalopae, and juveniles within their brooding pouches. This is the first record of EPC in a symbiotic crab and the second confirmed record of EPC in a marine brachyuran crab. This study supports predictions central to resource-monopolization and life-history theories. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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