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Some beavioral characteristics related to food supply and soil texture of burrowing habitats observed on Uca vocans vocans and U. lactea perplexa

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Abstract

From the observations on two species of fiddler crabs, droving is conspicuous in Uca vocans vocans but does not occur in U. lactea perplexa. U. vocans come down to feed at the water's edge with a richer food supply and fine substrate particles. Droving is advantageous to increase feeding efficiency in this species which holds burrows on a relatively sandy habitat where the food supply is less rich. In U. lactea, which burrows at higher levels, on the other hand, the food supply and soil texture of their burrow area are not significantly different from those at the water's edge. Home range relationships of both species are consistent with the occurrence or not of droving behavior and depend on food productivity of burrowing habitats.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Hakozaki, 812, Fukuoka, Japan

    M. Murai & S. Goshima

  2. College of Education, University of Ryukyus, 903, Naha, Japan

    Y. Nakasone

Authors
  1. M. Murai
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  2. S. Goshima
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  3. Y. Nakasone
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Communicated by M. Anraku, Hiroshima

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Murai, M., Goshima, S. & Nakasone, Y. Some beavioral characteristics related to food supply and soil texture of burrowing habitats observed on Uca vocans vocans and U. lactea perplexa . Mar. Biol. 66, 191–197 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397193

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397193

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