Behavioural and physiological studies of aggression in swimming crabs Export

@article{citeulike:3458580, abstract = {This article reviews three studies of agonistic interactions in pairs of swimming crabs (Liocarcinus depurator and Necora puber) in which behavioural and physiological approaches were combined. In both species most fights were won by the larger crab. Smaller crabs were able to win fights when the size differential was small, in which case encounters tended to be long and fierce. In N. puber both the larger and the smaller crab were more likely to win fights that they initiated, suggesting that motivational differences (perhaps related to resource value) as well as relative size determine what crabs do during a fight. When fighting during the breeding season in water in which receptive females had been housed, small crabs were as likely as large ones to win fights, by persisting much longer than they did in the absence of such stimuli. In L. depurator an absolute size effect was found, with larger crabs fighting for longer regardless of relative size. This suggested that costs fall more heavily on smaller crabs, and prompted a study of the respiratory costs of fighting. Using scaphognathite beat as an index of oxygen consumption, aerobic respiration was found to be greatly elevated during fights and to remain high for some time after the fight had ended. Long and/or intense fights involved a greater increase in respiration rate. Winners and losers had similar average respiration rates during fights but, in losers, long fights were associated with significantly elevated respiration rates during the recovery period. Analysis of tissue metabolites gave little evidence of anaerobic respiration during fights, although some local mobilisation of glucose in the walking legs was observed. No significant effects of participation in a fight were found on initiation or outcome of a second fight staged immediately afterwards. Sequential associations between agonistic acts indicate a short-term escalatory process that was more marked in winners than losers, which tended to de-escalate especially during high intensity phases. The insights gained by combining behavioural and physiological techniques are discussed.}, author = {Huntingford, F. A. and Taylor, A. C. and Smith, I. P. and Thorpe, K. E.}, booktitle = {Behavioural Ecology of Decapod Crustaceans: An Experimental Approach}, citeulike-article-id = {3458580}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T8F-3YB9W02-N/2/c3886bef3fcead2689ae9ca4691bf2c7}, day = {29}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology}, keywords = {08-10-28, agonistic, contest, crabs, depurator, fight, interactions, liocarcinus, necora, puber, swimming}, month = {November}, number = {1-2}, pages = {21--39}, posted-at = {2008-10-28 22:15:13}, priority = {2}, title = {Behavioural and physiological studies of aggression in swimming crabs}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T8F-3YB9W02-N/2/c3886bef3fcead2689ae9ca4691bf2c7}, volume = {193}, year = {1995} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:3458580 L3 - citeulike-article-id:3458580 N2 - This article reviews three studies of agonistic interactions in pairs of swimming crabs (Liocarcinus depurator and Necora puber) in which behavioural and physiological approaches were combined. In both species most fights were won by the larger crab. Smaller crabs were able to win fights when the size differential was small, in which case encounters tended to be long and fierce. In N. puber both the larger and the smaller crab were more likely to win fights that they initiated, suggesting that motivational differences (perhaps related to resource value) as well as relative size determine what crabs do during a fight. When fighting during the breeding season in water in which receptive females had been housed, small crabs were as likely as large ones to win fights, by persisting much longer than they did in the absence of such stimuli. In L. depurator an absolute size effect was found, with larger crabs fighting for longer regardless of relative size. This suggested that costs fall more heavily on smaller crabs, and prompted a study of the respiratory costs of fighting. Using scaphognathite beat as an index of oxygen consumption, aerobic respiration was found to be greatly elevated during fights and to remain high for some time after the fight had ended. Long and/or intense fights involved a greater increase in respiration rate. Winners and losers had similar average respiration rates during fights but, in losers, long fights were associated with significantly elevated respiration rates during the recovery period. Analysis of tissue metabolites gave little evidence of anaerobic respiration during fights, although some local mobilisation of glucose in the walking legs was observed. No significant effects of participation in a fight were found on initiation or outcome of a second fight staged immediately afterwards. Sequential associations between agonistic acts indicate a short-term escalatory process that was more marked in winners than losers, which tended to de-escalate especially during high intensity phases. The insights gained by combining behavioural and physiological techniques are discussed. IS - 1-2 JF - Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology EP - 39 TI - Behavioural and physiological studies of aggression in swimming crabs VL - 193 T2 - Behavioural Ecology of Decapod Crustaceans: An Experimental Approach SP - 21 KW - 08-10-28 KW - agonistic KW - contest KW - crabs KW - depurator KW - fight KW - interactions KW - liocarcinus KW - necora KW - puber KW - swimming AU - Huntingford, FA AU - Taylor, AC AU - Smith, IP AU - Thorpe, KE PY - 1995/11/29/ UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T8F-3YB9W02-N/2/c3886bef3fcead2689ae9ca4691bf2c7 ER -