Abstract

ABSTRACT The tiny epizoic limpet Lottia tenuisculpta lives on rocky surfaces and shells of the snails Omphalius nigerrimus and Reishia clavigera. The movement patterns of the limpet on host snails was observed during 24 h under controlled laboratory conditions. A specific behaviour, referred to as returning behaviour and reminiscent of homing behaviour, was observed in seven out of 20 individuals, and two out of 15 individuals on O. nigerrimus and R. clavigera, respectively. Rotation behaviour, in which limpets changed the direction of the body by one hundred and eighty degrees without changing the position on host snails, was also observed very frequently (17 out of 20 individuals on O. nigerrimus and 10 out of 15 and R. clavigera). This is the first report of such a behaviour. The potential role of this behaviour in creating home scars is discussed.

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