Expansion of the Northern Geographical Distribution of Land Hermit Crab Populations: Colonization and Overwintering Success of Coenobita purpureus on the Coast of the Boso Peninsula, Japan.

ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to elucidate the population dynamics of land hermit crabs on the coast of the Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, which is the northern limit of their geographical distribution. We conducted monthly field surveys at four sites from April 2012 to December 2014 and visually searched for crabs. Laboratory experiments were also conducted to evaluate the overwintering ability of two species, Coenobita purpureus and C. rugosus, which were detected during the field surveys; adult crabs and laboratory-raised juveniles were exposed to low-temperature conditions that simulated the in situ temperatures during the early overwintering period. Newly landed juveniles first appeared in August. They were identified as either C. purpureus or C. rugosus, with C. purpureus being t

SUBMITTER: Sanda T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6920521 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature