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What motivates hermit crabs to abandon trapped shells? Assessing the influence of shell value, olfactory attractants, and previous experience

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Abstract

Hermit crabs finding themselves in a trapped shell face a critical decision that will require an assessment of the benefits of abandonment against the increased risks of predation and desiccation. This study investigates factors that influence the rate of shell abandoning by common intertidal hermit crabs. We firstly established that the mud inhabitant, Pagurus criniticornis, exhibits a greater tendency to abandon shells when compared to its neighbors Pagurus brevidactylus and Clibanarius antillensis. We subsequently conducted a series of experiments on this species to assess the relative influence of (1) gastropod shell type, (2) shell adequacy, (3) shell condition, (4) olfactory attractants, (5) previous experience, and (6) shell acclimatization. P. criniticornis abandoned very small shells faster than optimal (well-fitting) specimens and damaged shells faster and more completely than intact specimens. Crabs exposed to olfactory cues (Cerithium atratum) were 15% more likely to abandon their shells than unexposed individuals. Similarly, individuals that had undergone previous abandonment experience and those given longer acclimatization periods (30 vs. 2 days) showed rates of abandonment that were 18 and 28% greater than contrasting treatments. The results can be used to aid our understanding of motivational behavior in invertebrates and other animals that inhabit temporary or ephemeral shelters.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) in an effort to augment our understanding of the behavioral ecology of benthic fauna in the Araçá Bay region of São Sebastião, Brazil. The authors thank Herbert Guariento for assistance with experiments that were conducted at the Laboratory of Aquatic Biology at the Centro Universitário Fundação de Ensino Octávio Bastos. We are grateful to Mark Briffa and two anonymous referees for their insightful comments and suggestions, which helped us to improve the manuscript.

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  1. Laboratório de Manejo, Ecologia e Conservação Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Daniel Gorman & Alexander Turra

  2. School of Design and Engineering, Universidat politecnica de València, Valencia, Spain

    Filipe Barros

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  1. Daniel Gorman
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  2. Filipe Barros
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Correspondence to Daniel Gorman.

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Gorman, D., Barros, F. & Turra, A. What motivates hermit crabs to abandon trapped shells? Assessing the influence of shell value, olfactory attractants, and previous experience. Hydrobiologia 743, 285–297 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-2047-6

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