Ecological studies on the hermit crab Calcinus latens (Paguroidea: Diogenidae), from Aqaba Gulf, Egypt; Part (II), some morphological aspects of intersexuality phenomenon

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Abstract

The present study aims to shed light on some morphological aspects of intersexuality along with sexual dimorphism in the population of Calcinus latens (Randall, 1840). It is based on the same sample and so, the same measurement data of part I of some ecological studies that were performed on C. latens. So, the examined specimens were 442 (121 males, 46 intersex individuals, 275 females) collected from the Lagona region in Dahab city, Aqaba gulf, Egypt. The measurements included shield length (Sl), shield width (SW), wet weight (Weg), length (LpL) and height (LpH) of left chelar propodus and right chelar propodus length (RpL). The population was divided into six size classes. Morphological and statistical evidence, suggesting that intersex individuals may function as males, were recorded. Sexual dimorphism was indicated in all the measured dimensions. The overall sex ratio was 1:2.3, in favor of females. Typical males showed higher abundance percentage in the larger size classes than in the smaller ones. Typical females showed the reverse. Intersex individuals were present only in size classes that included typical females. That finding indicates a connection between their role and typical females abundance, suggesting that they may serve as a “backup” for typical males in reproduction. That, in turn, could interpret their higher abundance percentage in C. latens population (≈10.4%) than in other hermit crabs populations, assuming a higher males mortality rate in the case of the C. latens population.

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