| Abstract |
Larvae and postlarvae of Callichirus major and C.islagrande were offered heat-treated sand from which organic compounds had been combusted (=combusted sand) to determine if organic constituents of the substrate provided cues for settlement.Whereas settlement of C.major is known to be triggered by the presence of untreated sand (=natural sand) at the fourth zoeal stage (ZIV), postlarvae of C.islagrande did not require previous contact with sand for settlement at the decapodid stage (D).When larvae received natural or combusted sand at ZIV or D, C.major burrowed significantly less in combusted sand than in natural sand, and postlarvae of C.islagrande burrowed in both sand types.To further define the characteristic of sand to which ZIV larvae of C.major respond, larvae received different sand treatments at ZIV and natural trigger decapodids of C.major to burrow in natural sand.This finding suggests that ZIV larvae detect a mechanical or inorganic cue from sand, whereas decapodids respond to the presence of organic compounds |
Strasser, K.M. and D.L. Felder (1999) Settlement in an Atlantic coast population of the ghost shrimp Callichirus major (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea). Marine Ecology Progress Series 183: 217–225. 