Ontogenetic changes in the external anatomy of the parasitic castrator crab Calyptraeotheres garthi: Implications for the timing of host colonization and sexual behaviour
- Ocampo, Emiliano Hernan
- Spivak, Eduardo Daniel
- Baeza, Antonio J.
- Luppi, Tomas Atilio
DOIAbstract
Pea-crabs are symbiotic crustaceans that live in association with a diverse array of macro-invertebrate hosts. Some pea-crabs exhibit an unusual and incompletely known post-larval cycle characterized by the alternation of free-life and symbiotic forms. We analyzed post-larval morphology, the allometry of various body parts, and sexual dimorphism in Calyptraeotheres garthi, an endosymbiotic pea-crab infesting the brooding chamber of limpets in the southwestern Atlantic. In C. garthi, the smallest invasive crab moults into a male or female prehard stage, which is immediately followed by a hard stage. Then, hard-stage females, but not hard-stage males, pass through four post-hard stages before attaining a fifth terminal stage. The invasive and...
Add to ORKG