Carrying behavior in the deep-sea crab Paromola cuvieri (Northeast Atlantic)

Observations of deep-sea homolids are becoming more common, but good-resolution imagery of these crabs in the natural environment is still scarce. Sixteen new in situ observations of Paromola cuvieri from various locations within the central and eastern groups of the Azores Archipelago (Northeast Atlantic) are described here based on video footage collected by two submersible vehicles. Crabs were found on coral gardens and deep-sea sponge aggregations, which are priority habitats of conservation importance under OSPARCOM. Diverse sessile megafauna were recorded (>59 taxa), including sponges, hydroids, corals, brachiopods, crinoids and oysters. Overall, 75% of the crabs were carrying live specimens of sessile invertebrates, mainly sponges and cold-water corals. Object selection shows to be a more complex process than previously thought, in which factors such as morphology, size and weight of objects and also palatability seem to be more important in the process of object selection than their availability.

[1]  A. Boetius,et al.  The future of integrated deep-sea research in Europe: the HERMIONE Project , 2009 .

[2]  M. Wisshak,et al.  Temperate carbonate cycling and water mass properties from intertidal to bathyal depths (Azores) , 2010 .

[3]  M. Hill,et al.  Anti-predator defenses in western North Atlantic sponges with evidence of enhanced defense through interactions between spicules and chemicals , 2005 .

[4]  I. Gordon.  Paromola cuvieri (Risso), a Crab new to the Orkneys, Shetlands and Norway , 1956, Nature.

[5]  B. R. D. Forges,et al.  Crustacea Decapoda Brachyura: Révision de la famille des Homolidae de Haan, 1839 , 1995 .

[6]  M. Ilan,et al.  Comparison of anti-predatory defenses of Red Sea and Caribbean sponges. II. Physical defense , 2003 .

[7]  J. Cartes.  Diets of deep-sea brachyuran crabs in the Western Mediterranean Sea , 1993, Marine Biology.

[8]  J. Stachowicz,et al.  Geographic Variation in Camouflage Specialization by a Decorator Crab , 2000, The American Naturalist.

[9]  H. B. Cott,et al.  Adaptive Coloration in Animals , 1940 .

[10]  L. Holthuis,et al.  West African Brachyuran Crabs , 1981 .

[11]  C. Woods,et al.  Use of camouflage materials as a food store by the spider crab Notomithrax ursus (Brachyura: Majidae) , 1994 .

[12]  J. Kubanek,et al.  Isolation and structure elucidation of feeding deterrent diterpenoids from the sea pansy, Renilla reniformis. , 2005, Journal of natural products.

[13]  M. Wicksten.  Carrying behaviour in brachyuran crabs , 1986 .

[14]  J. Duffy,et al.  Host‐Plant Specialization Decreases Predation on a Marine Amphipod: An Herbivore in Plant's Clothing , 1990 .

[15]  J. Stachowicz,et al.  REDUCING PREDATION THROUGH CHEMICALLY MEDIATED CAMOUFLAGE: INDIRECT EFFECTS OF PLANT DEFENSES ON HERBIVORES , 1999 .

[16]  J. Reed.  Deep-water Oculina coral reefs of Florida: biology, impacts, and management , 2002, Hydrobiologia.

[17]  P. Ng,et al.  On the identities of two Pacific species of deep-water porter crabs, Hypsophrys longirostris Chen, 1986, and Homologenus donghaiensis Chen, 1986 (Crustacea : Decapoda : Brachyura : Homolidae) , 1999 .

[18]  P. B. Mortensen,et al.  Species diversity and spatial distribution of invertebrates on deep-water Lophelia reefs in Norway , 2008 .

[19]  M. Segonzac,et al.  Handbook of deep-sea hydrothermal vent fauna , 1997 .

[20]  D. Barnes,et al.  Sponge morphological diversity: a qualitative predictor of species diversity? , 2001 .

[21]  P. Ng,et al.  New records and new species of Homolidae De Haan, 1839, from the Philippines and French Polynesia (Crustacea : Decapoda : Brachyura) , 2007 .

[22]  E. Mastro.  Algal Preferences for Decoration By the Californian Kelp Crab, Pugettia Producta (Randall) (Decapoda, Majidae) , 1981 .

[23]  Charles,et al.  Chemical and structural defenses of Caribbean gorgonians ( Pseudopterogorgia spp . ) . I . Development of an in situ feeding assay , 2022 .

[24]  D. Doumenc,et al.  Anemone-Carrying Behaviour in a Deep-Water Homolid Crab (Brachyura, Podotremata) , 1996 .

[25]  B. R. D. Forges,et al.  Crabes de profondeur, nouveaux ou rares, de l'Indo-Pacifique (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) : 2 , 1981 .

[26]  P. Tyler,et al.  Submersible observations of the invertebrate fauna on the continental-slope southwest of ireland (ne atlantic-ocean) , 1992 .

[27]  P. Sammarco,et al.  Chemical defences in soft corals (Coelenterata: Octocorallia) of the Great Barrier Reef: a study of comparative toxicities , 1982 .

[28]  P. Ng,et al.  New western Pacific records of Homolidae De Haan, 1839, with descriptions of new species of Homolochunia Doflein, 1904, and Latreillopsis Henderson, 1888 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) , 2008 .

[29]  A. Hill,et al.  Morphological Plasticity in the Tropical Sponge Anthosigmella varians: Responses to Predators and Wave Energy , 2002, The Biological Bulletin.

[30]  N. Boury‐Esnault,et al.  Thesaurus of Sponge Morphology , 1997 .

[31]  C. Harvell,et al.  Chemical and structural defenses of Caribbean gorgonians {Pseudoptero-gorgia spp.)- I- Development of an in situ feeding assay , 1988 .

[32]  A REVIEW OF THE CARRYING BEHAVIOUR IN BRACHYURAN CRABS , WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE SYMBIOSES WITH SEA ANEMONES , 2012 .

[33]  C. Woods,et al.  Masking and ingestion preferences of the spider crab Notomithrax ursus (Brachyura: Majidae) , 1994 .

[34]  P. Ng.  Lamoha Hystrix, A New Species Of Deep-Water Porter Crab (Crustacea : Decapoda : Brachyura : Homolidae) From The Central Pacific , 1998 .

[35]  L. Holthuis,et al.  West African brachyuran crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda) , 1981 .

[36]  M. Wicksten.  A review and a model of decorating behavior in spider crabs (Decapoda, Brachyura, Majidae) , 1993 .

[37]  C. Chintiroglou,et al.  Isanthus Homolophilus sp. nov. (Isanthidae: Actiniaria: Anthozoa) from French Polynesia , 1998, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

[38]  M. Wicksten.  Carrying Behavior in the Family Homolidae (Decapoda: Brachyura) , 1985 .

[39]  G. Ruxton,et al.  Avoiding Attack: The Evolutionary Ecology of Crypsis, Warning Signals and Mimicry , 2004 .

[40]  A. Crosnier.  Résultats des campagnes Musorstom : volume 10 , 1991 .