Indirect female choice mediated by sex pheromones in the hermit crab Pagurus filholi |
| |
Authors: | Saori Okamura Seiji Goshima |
| |
Institution: | (1) Laboratory of Marine Biology and Biodiversity, Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan;(2) Laboratory of Marine Biology and Biodiversity, Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan |
| |
Abstract: | Males of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi perform precopulatory guarding behavior, and solitary males often show aggressive behavior to take away guarded females.
Males behave coercively while guarding females, so direct mate choice by females seems difficult in such a situation. By performing
several experiments we examined possible indirect female choice of hermit crab. Males were attached to a shell by their left
cheliped to look like guarding pairs (fake guarding pairs). The shells were filled with cotton containing either seawater
or pheromone water. The fake guarding pair with only seawater caused male–male combat in 60% of trials whereas with pheromone
water combats occurred in 88% of trials. Mean duration of male–male combat was significantly longer in trials with drops of
seawater containing pheromones than in those without pheromones. These results suggest guarding pairs themselves cause male–male
combat by visual stimulation, that female sex pheromones have further significant function in the recognition of guarding
pairs and intensification of male–male combat, and that females release sex pheromones while they are guarded. As a result
of the combat, the larger male ended up guarding a female. This strongly suggests that females choose males indirectly by
exploiting male–male competition induced by sex pheromones under male coercive behavior. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|