The role of previous shell occupancy in the wild on laboratory shell choice by the hermit crab Calcinus californiensis

Abstract

The effect of shell preference in the wild and field shell experience on choice in laboratory shell-choice experiments by hermit crabs was investigated. The hermit crab Calcinus californiensis prefers one of two different shell species in the wild site where we studied its behavior. The two most occupied gastropod shells were Nerita scabricosta (76%) and Thais biserialis (12%), with the remaining animals occupying a range of other shell species. Hermit crabs, originally collected in Thais and Nerita shells, showed a higher preference for Thais than for Nerita shells. However, shell preference was influenced by previous housing experience in the wild. In addition, the shell adequacy index showed that in the wild females occupy Thais shells relatively larger than the preferred size used under controlled conditions.