Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Salmon, Michael

Abstract

Larval release by adult fiddler crabs occurs during the ebbing tides, but its timing relative to the day-night and tidal amplitude cycles depends upon tidal form (e.g., shows phenotypical plasticity). Crabs (Uca thayeri) from Florida's East Coast are exposed to semidiurnal tides and release their larvae at night, whereas crabs from Florida's West Coast exposed to mixed tides release their larvae during the afternoon. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the larvae could hatch at times other than those correlated with the tidal form at their location. Clusters of eggs at similar stages of development, 24-72 h in advance of release, were reciprocally transferred between females from each coast. Release ofboth the transferred larvae and maternal clutch occurred synchronously, and at the time dictated by the female's tidal regime. These results suggest that larvae are phenotypically plastic with respect to hatching time and can either delay (West coast) or advance (East coast) their response to release signals from females.

Extent

37 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2007.|Charles E. Schmidt College of Science|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00000733

Format

pdf

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