Feeding Behavior of a Crab According to Cheliped Number

• Grant number: 15/26829-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants - Publications - Scientific article
• Duration: March 01, 2016 - August 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Animal Behavior
• Principal Investigator: Ronaldo Adriano Christofoletti
• Grantee: Ronaldo Adriano Christofoletti
• Host Institution: Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade (ISS). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cheliped loss through autotomy is a common reflexive response in decapod crustaceans.Cheliped loss has direct and indirect effects on feeding behavior which can affect populationdynamics and the role of species in the community. In this study, we assessed the impact of autotomy (0, 1, or 2 cheliped loss) on feeding behavior in the crab Pachygrapsus transversus, an omnivorous and abundant species that inhabits subtropical intertidal rocky shores along the South Atlantic Ocean. Autotomy altered crab feeding patterns and foragingbehavior; however, the time spent foraging on animal prey or algae was not affected. Theseresults indicate a plasticity of feeding behavior in P. transversus, allowing them to maintain feeding when injured. (AU)