Hermit Crabs

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses various experiments that process of the hermit crab selecting his home in empty gastropod shells is the subject of much research: The way the crab makes a decision as to what shell to select and what shell to reject. The author says that the researcher can alter the shells so they convey different information to the animal, after which the consequences can be determined. The paper explains that motivational models can be developed to explain the timing of decisions over empty shells, and these can in turn be incorporated into models created to explain agonistic interactions.

From the Paper:

"Conover reports on a study on shell selection by the hermit crab that studied the Pagurus pollicaris in a natural population and in laboratory experiments. The crabs were collected in Tampa Bay south of St. Petersburg, Florida. An excess of shells was available in this area because only 53 percent of the available shells were occupied by hermit crabs. Records were kept of all collected gastropod shells as to species and whether or not they were inhabited by a hermit crab. Various comparisons were made between shells as to size, weight, amount of epifauna, and so on. When the weight of the shell was increased by 25 percent or so either by its natural epifauna or artificially, hermit crabs continued to occupy shells of the same size and volume. This suggests that shell volume is more important than weight in the selection of a shell. Other experiments shifted the angle of the shell axis and position of the shell's center of gravity, which often resulted in an aversion to the altered shells by hermit crabs. This suggested that the crabs select shells on the basis of several shell traits bearing on protection provided by the shell or by the ease with which the shell can be carried."

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