Title |
The biology of _Austinixa gorei_ (Manning & Felder, 1989) (Decapoda, Brachyura, Pinnotheridae) symbiotic in the burrows of intertidal ghost shrimp (Decapoda, Thalassinidea, Callianassidae) in Miami, Florida |
Abstract |
The pinnotherid crab, Austinixa gorei lives in the burrows of ghost shrimp (infraorder Thalassinidea).Crabs were collected from ghost shrimp burrows in sandy, intertidal locations at Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, Florida from December 1966 to May, 1967.Gilvossius setimanus was the only ghost shrimp identified at these locations.Sexual pairs of crabs (considered the normal condition) occurred in 24 burrows, but most of the crabs were taken as single individuals, presumably due to sampling difficulties.The overall prevalence of one or more crabs per burrow was 100%.Male/female ratio was 0.75 (n = 54 and 72, respectively), and there was no significant difference in mean carapace width (CW) between the sexes (males 6.7 ± 1.7 mm; females 6.8 ± 1.5 mm).Carapace width was positively correlated with carapace length and abdomen width (AW).Females with AW/CW ratios of approximately = 0.65 were mature.Ovigerous crabs (7.6 ± 0.7 mm CW) occurred at each collection date, but most were found in April and May.Numbers of embryos per brood were positively correlated with CW; maximum number per brood was 525.Some ovigerous crabs that were isolated in the laboratory produced one or two additional broods, with development to the first zoeae in approximately one month.Sperm remain viable in seminal receptacles for subsequent broods and molts.Increments of CW increase following molting were inversely correlated with CW.The gill chambers of five females of Austinixa gorei were infested with unidentified symbiotic nemerteans (Carcinonemertidae), broods of which occurred with the broods of two crabs.Six crabs were internally infected with unidentified parasitic isopods (Entoniscidae). |