Behavior of Fiddler Crabs

Participants

Sep

Dr Judith Weis & Sona Mason, Federated Department of Biological Sciences Rutgers Newark.

Status

Sep

Began Summer 2009

Problem

Sep

Fiddler crabs, which are mainly detrital feeders, tend to apportion their behavorial time budgets among various behaviors, which include feeding on sediment, interacting with conspecifics and remaining below ground in their burrows.

Previous observations have noticed differences in feeding time budgets in fiddler crabs living on polluted versus cleaner sediments. In some cases, field observations noted that crabs living on sand (which has less nutrients than muddy sediment) spent more time feeding. However, other studies showed more feeding on richer sediments. There is also a body of literature indicating that contamination (such as metals) reduces feeding in a variety of animals. As the results from various studies differed in their conclusions, we hope to determine more conclusively whether fiddler crabs spend more time feeding on richer or poorer sediments. Also, we were interested to know whether these behaviors are limited to specimens living on their own sediment, or whether these behaviors remain the same when specimens are placed on sediment different than their home sediment.

Our working hypothesis states that sediments from contaminated sites probably carry a greater load of nutrients in addition to pollutants, thus abating the need for continuous feeding activity among fiddler crabs, allowing more time for other behaviors.

Objective

Sep

To determine how the feeding time budgets of fiddler crabs differ on relatively clean, vs polluted sediments. Also, nutrient analyses are to be carried out on fresh, partially and more fully depleted sediments to determine the nutrient quantity in each after being grazed on by fiddler crabs for a period of time.

Strategy

Sep

Collection of fiddler crabs and sediment from polluted (Anderson Creek, Hackensack Meadowlands and Piles Creek, Linden) and reference site (Tuckerton), and maintaining them on their own and each other’s sediments in laboratory tanks. Observations of their subsequent feeding behaviors to examine what proportion of their time is spent feeding vs engaging in other activities.

Measurement of sediment nutrients (C, N, and chlorophyll, which is an indicator of benthic microalgae which are consumed by the crabs) initially and after one, three and six day’s feeding by crabs in each tank to determine any nutrient depletion of each sediment type. Polluted sediments are expected to sustain feeding behavior longer and be depleted of nutrients more slowly due to containing more nutrients.

Activities

Sep

2009

2010

Deliverables

Sep
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