Evaluation of pattern of shell utilization in the hermit crab Clibanarius africanus (Aurivillus, 1898) (Decapoda: Diogenidae) in the Lagos Lagoon: aspects of behavioural and bio- ecology of benthos.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2011
Authors
Lawal-Are, A. O.
Uwadiae, R. E.
Owolabi, O. R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Evaluation of pattern of shell utilization by Clibanarius africanus was investigated in the intertidal area of
the Lagos lagoon, between March and August, 2008 at five study sites. A total of 663 specimens of hermit crab in
gastropod shells were collected. Shell occupation of C. africanus was limited to gastropod shells belonging to
Pachymelania and Tympanotonus spp. The gastropod shell most inhabited was those of Pachymelania spp, which
accounted for 60.96% of inhabited shells, while about 39% of the shell inhabited belonged to Tympanotonus spp.
Shell preferences were characterized by shell length, weight and aperture width. Positive and statistically significant
correlations were obtained between morphometric characteristics of C. africanus and those of the shells inhabited,
suggesting that fitness of shell to crab dimension constitutes mainly the determinant for C. africanus shell utilization.
Spatiotemporal variations in the type of shell occupied were not significant in this study. Analysis of the abundance
of C. africanus in the study area indicates that, a relatively higher abundance of C. africanus was observed in site 3,
due probably to the favourable environmental conditions provided by large percentage of sand fractions in the
sediment. From the data recorded in this study, it may be concluded that shell utilization by hermit crabs involves
individual preferences related to the shell features that best provide protection, survival and opportunity for the
enhancement of behavioural attributes that are necessary for the maximization of bio-ecological relationships.
Description
Keywords
bioecological relationships , Shell utilisation , hermit crabs , Clibanarius africanus
Citation
Authors Aderonke Lawal-Are, Roland Efe Uwadiae, Olayemi Ruth Owolabi Publication date 2011 Journal Natural Sciences Volume 9 Pages 7-15. Cited by 2