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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
The Burrows of Ocypode ceratophthalmus (Pallas) (Crustacea, Ocypodidae) on a Tidal Wave Beach at Inhaca Island, Moçambique
Contributor:
Barrass, Robert
imprint:
Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1963
Published in:
Journal of Animal Ecology, 32 (1963) 1, Seite 73-85
Language:
English
ISSN:
0021-8790;
1365-2656
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
<p>1. Adults of the burrowing crab Ocypode ceratophthalmus are nocturnal at Inhaca but some juveniles are active during the daylight. 2. The chelipeds are unequal in size in both sexes and the larger cheliped may be on either side of the body. Crabs with the larger cheliped on the right construct burrows which spiral to the right; and vice versa. A distinction is made between emergence holes and true burrows. 3. Burrows and emergence holes are distributed within a zone on the wave beach below H.W.S.T. level. The distribution of burrows within this zone changes from night to night and these changes appear to be related to differences in tidal cover between spring and neap tides. 4. Nocturnal activity may be considerably limited by the tides. There may be an aggregation of crabs on the wave beach or a migration on to the tidal flats. 5. Numbers along a stretch of shore were estimated from the number of emergence holes in the wave beach on one night following a spring tide. These indicated a population of x = 10.556+-3.834 per metre transect (1 m wide from H.W.S.T. to the lower edge of the wave beach).</p>