Escape behaviour in shore crabs: Constraints of body size and available shelter

The escape behaviour of organisms that retreat to shelter to avoid predators is influenced by availability and quality (e.g. appropriate size) of shelters. We examined escape behaviour (flight initiation distance, distance fled to shelter) of the crab Leptograpsus variegatus, relative to shelter siz...

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Main Authors: Bateman, Bill, Fleming, P.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/37553
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author Bateman, Bill
Fleming, P.
author_facet Bateman, Bill
Fleming, P.
author_sort Bateman, Bill
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The escape behaviour of organisms that retreat to shelter to avoid predators is influenced by availability and quality (e.g. appropriate size) of shelters. We examined escape behaviour (flight initiation distance, distance fled to shelter) of the crab Leptograpsus variegatus, relative to shelter size and distribution on a shoreline with multiple shelters and on a shoreline with limited shelter. Larger crabs tended to be nearer to larger shelters than smaller crabs and fled sooner and further than smaller crabs. Larger crabs often fled past the nearest shelters if they were too small. Group size increased at the site with fewer shelters, but this did not influence flight behaviour. We conclude that the availability of shelters and body size influences escape behaviour of these crabs.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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publishDate 2016
publisher Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-375532017-09-13T13:42:27Z Escape behaviour in shore crabs: Constraints of body size and available shelter Bateman, Bill Fleming, P. The escape behaviour of organisms that retreat to shelter to avoid predators is influenced by availability and quality (e.g. appropriate size) of shelters. We examined escape behaviour (flight initiation distance, distance fled to shelter) of the crab Leptograpsus variegatus, relative to shelter size and distribution on a shoreline with multiple shelters and on a shoreline with limited shelter. Larger crabs tended to be nearer to larger shelters than smaller crabs and fled sooner and further than smaller crabs. Larger crabs often fled past the nearest shelters if they were too small. Group size increased at the site with fewer shelters, but this did not influence flight behaviour. We conclude that the availability of shelters and body size influences escape behaviour of these crabs. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/37553 10.1111/jzo.12276 Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. restricted
spellingShingle Bateman, Bill
Fleming, P.
Escape behaviour in shore crabs: Constraints of body size and available shelter
title Escape behaviour in shore crabs: Constraints of body size and available shelter
title_full Escape behaviour in shore crabs: Constraints of body size and available shelter
title_fullStr Escape behaviour in shore crabs: Constraints of body size and available shelter
title_full_unstemmed Escape behaviour in shore crabs: Constraints of body size and available shelter
title_short Escape behaviour in shore crabs: Constraints of body size and available shelter
title_sort escape behaviour in shore crabs: constraints of body size and available shelter
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/37553