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Gregarious aggregative behavior in the marine isopod Cirolana harfordi
Author(s) -
Salma Umme,
Thomson Murray
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
invertebrate biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.486
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1744-7410
pISSN - 1077-8306
DOI - 10.1111/ivb.12134
Subject(s) - biology , phototaxis , desiccation , ecology , isopoda , attraction , zoology , crustacean , botany , linguistics , philosophy
Gregarious huddling behavior where animals seek the close company of conspecifics is thought to have facilitated the evolutionary transition from sea to land in some species of isopods, the theory being that closely apposed bodies decrease surface area and reduce desiccation. In this study, specimens of the marine isopod Cirolana harfordi were investigated to determine whether they displayed gregarious aggregative behavior. Animals were placed in a 20‐cm‐diameter acrylic cylinder arena that contained two 5‐cm‐diameter circular acrylic shelters that were tinted red (to reduce light transmittance), one at either end of the arena. Specimens of C. harfordi chose one of the two identical shelters at random, and the majority of animals congregated under this winning shelter. When an arena with one shelter tinted red and one clear shelter was used, the majority of animals congregated under the red shelter. These data indicate that the aggregative behavior displayed by this marine isopod species is driven by gregarious, conspecific attraction as well as reactions to environmental heterogeneity and negative phototaxis. Gregarious behavior in this marine isopod may afford the species advantages other than avoiding desiccation.