The roles of colour change and behaviour in the hygrothermal balance of a littoral isopod, Ligia oceanica

Summary

Ligia oceanica can change its colour using melanophores, the animal's reflectance varying between about 2 and 10%. Darker individuals heat up more quickly, and to higher body temperatures, than do pale ones. Colour change shows an underlying circadian rhythm, though the pattern of this rhythm varies with temperature, humidity, background and time of year. In general the rhythm is such as to ensure maximum camouflage at the critical dusk period, but in some conditions hygrothermal needs are overriding and the animals are paler (to stay cool) or darker (to warm up). In addition, animals show short term colour modification; when transferred to differing backgrounds and temperatures their colours initially reflect background matching, but after 30–45 min are modified into thermally appropriate shades, dark at 5° C and pale at 20° C. Field-caught specimens showed body temperatures that varied with colouration, and modification of colour in relation to thermal needs, particularly by being paler than expected when forced into the open by daytime high tides, and darker than expected when active prior to dusk. Animals invariably selected dark backgrounds in choice chambers. However, choice of humidity depended on previous experience; saturated air was normally preferred, but warm animals chose drier air (to allow evaporative cooling) unless also water-stressed. They also tended to disperse to facilitate cooling, whereas aggregation increased with increasing RH and with decreasing temperature. The interactions of colour changes, behavioural choices, and activity patterns in controlling the hygrothermal belance of Ligia in the intertidal environment are discussed in the light of these results.