Abstract
Adult horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) spawn on sandy intertidal beaches and then return toward the water. Field experiments demonstrated that beach slope was more significant than vision in this orientation behavior. Both blinded and nor mally sighted crabs showed rapid seaward orientation on beaches with a seaward slope of approximately 6°. Orientation performance was poor on a flat beach, al though sighted crabs slightly out-performed blinded crabs. The observed orientation behavior was correlated with the large numbers of horseshoe crabs which failed to return to the water after spawning on sand bars or similar habitats lacking a slope gradient.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
