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Variability of a dynamic visual signal: the fiddler crab claw-waving display

Journal of Comparative Physiology A volume 195, pages 55–67 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Fiddler crabs use elaborate, species-specific claw-waving displays to communicate with rivals and mates. However, detailed comparative studies of fiddler crab signal structure and structural variations are lacking. This paper provides an analysis of the claw-waving displays of seven Australian species of fiddler crab, Uca mjoebergi, U. perplexa, U. polita, U. seismella, U. signata, U. elegans and U. vomeris. We used digital video to record and analyse the fine-scale spatiotemporal properties of these movement-based visual signals. We found that the structure and timing of the displays is species-specific, exhibiting inter-specific differences that follow phylogenetic relationships. The displays showed intra-specific variation according to individual identity, geographic location and fine-scale behavioural context. The observed differences and variations are discussed in the light of the evolutionary forces that may shape their design.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Waldtraud Pix, Jochen Smolka and Pat Backwell for their support in the field, the Australian Institute for Marine Science and the North Australian Research Unit for hosting fieldwork and the RSBS workshop team for the custom-made equipment. We are grateful to Pat Backwell for providing us with video footage of Japanese U. perplexa. Funding was provided by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, and for MJH from a Research School of Biological Sciences postgraduate award and the ANU DVC for Research Support Fund for Fieldwork. The experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed.

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  1. ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science and Centre for Visual Sciences, Research School of Biological Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    Martin J. How, Jochen Zeil & Jan M. Hemmi

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  1. Martin J. How
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  2. Jochen Zeil
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  3. Jan M. Hemmi
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Correspondence to Martin J. How.

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How, M.J., Zeil, J. & Hemmi, J.M. Variability of a dynamic visual signal: the fiddler crab claw-waving display. J Comp Physiol A 195, 55–67 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-008-0382-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-008-0382-7

Keywords

  • Dynamic visual signal
  • Signal variation
  • Fiddler crab
  • Sensory ecology
  • Claw-wave