Biology of the Land Crabs

Cover......Page 1
Frontmatter......Page 2
Contents......Page 6
List of contributors......Page 10
Preface......Page 12
1. Why study land crabs?......Page 14
2. Denning a "land" crab......Page 15
3. The scope and coverage of Biology of the land crabs......Page 17
2 - EVOLUTION, SYSTEMATICS, AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION......Page 19
1. Introduction......Page 20
2. Levels of terrestrial adaptation......Page 22
3. Systematic account......Page 24
4. Phylogeny and evolution of land crabs......Page 60
5. Conclusions......Page 66
1. Introduction......Page 68
2. Interactions with the physical environment: "limiting factors"......Page 71
3. Interactions with the biotic environment......Page 78
4. Competition for food and habitat......Page 88
5. Reproductive ecology......Page 92
6. Growth and longevity......Page 101
7. Role of land crabs in food chains: predators and human exploitation......Page 103
8. Effects of land crabs on environment......Page 107
9. Directions for future research in land crab ecology......Page 108
1. Introduction......Page 110
2. Feeding behavior......Page 112
3. Grooming by non-ocypodid crabs......Page 121
4. Reproductive behavior......Page 123
5. Agonistic and resource-related behaviors......Page 133
6. Acoustic display......Page 141
7. Locomotory behavior......Page 144
8. Orientation......Page 147
9. Summary and conclusions......Page 150
1. Introduction......Page 152
2. Breeding seasons of land crabs......Page 153
3. Programming of reproduction and molt......Page 155
4. Sexual differentiation, sexual maturation, and mating......Page 158
5. Reproduction in the female......Page 164
6. Reproduction in the male......Page 178
7. Development......Page 193
8. Conclusions......Page 198
1. Introduction......Page 199
2. Molting in land crabs......Page 201
3. Patterns of growth......Page 210
4. Relative growth......Page 214
5. Autotomy and regeneration......Page 219
6. Conclusions......Page 222
1. Introduction......Page 224
2. Water balance......Page 226
3. Osmotic and ionic regulation......Page 241
4. General discussion and evolutionary implications......Page 259
1. Introduction......Page 262
2. Structure of gas exchange organs......Page 263
3. Ventilatory mechanisms......Page 270
4. Gas exchange and metabolic rate......Page 276
5. Ventilatory control mechanisms......Page 278
6. Oxygen transport by hemolymph......Page 279
7. Carbon dioxide transport by hemolymph......Page 287
8. Hemolymph acid--base balance......Page 288
9. Respiratory compensation for environmental change......Page 291
10. Ecological physiology of land crabs and the evolution of air breathing......Page 296
1. Introduction......Page 311
2. Cardiovascular morphology......Page 312
3. Cardiovascular physiology......Page 326
4. Gravity: a circulatory "problem" with terrestrial life......Page 341
5. Conclusions......Page 343
10 - ENERGETICS AND LOCOMOTION......Page 346
2. Feeding......Page 347
3. Digestive system......Page 350
4. Metabolism......Page 358
5. Animal energetics......Page 366
6. Locomotion......Page 370
7. Energy budgets......Page 388
8. Conclusion......Page 389
11 - EPILOGUE......Page 391
APPENDIX: Natural histories of selected terrestrial crabs......Page 395
References......Page 404
Author index......Page 460
Systematic index......Page 471
Subject index......Page 477