| FLOYD HAYES |
| Hayes, F. E., V. L. Joseph, H. S. Gurley, and B. Y. Y. Wong. 2006. Geographic variation in the association of decapod crabs with the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Nauplius 14:31-35. Abstract.--Geographic variation in the degree of association of decapod (brachyuran and anomuran) crabs with the sea urchin Diadema antillarum was investigated in fringing coral reefs (< 5 m deep) of Bequia, Mayreau, Grenada, Barbados and Tobago in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Of 991 D. antillarum urchins inspected, 298 (30.07%) hosted decapod crabs with an average of 0.49 crabs per urchin. The frequency of crabs associating with urchins varied geographically, being highest in Bequia (56.68%) and Grenada (40.74%), and lowest in Barbados (6.73% and 5.63% at two sites) and Mayreau (13.33%). Of 487 crabs observed, Percnon gibbesi was the most common species (79.05% of all crabs) followed by unidentified (possibly Pagurus spp.) hermit crabs (8.21%), Stenorhynchus seticornis (6.98%), and unidentified greyish (5.75%) and reddish (0.82%) crabs (possibly Mithraculus coryphe and M. forceps, respectively). The causes of geographic as well as temporal variation in the association of crabs with urchins remain obscure. However, the rarity of crabs in Barbados might be attributable to the frequent use of motorized water craft. Long-term temporal trends in the association of crabs with urchins may be linked with large-scale population dynamics of D. antillarum. Key words.--associates, Caribbean Sea, Decapod crabs, Diadema antillarum, geographic variation, Mithraculus spp., Pagurus spp., Percnon gibbesi, Stenorhynchus seticornis |
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