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PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Day Room 1 Room 2

Saturday Board Meeting, 9:00 – 5:00, CBH 2, VIMS

Sunday Registration 4-7 pm Reception in Courtyard

Monday morning Sociobiology Penaeid Shrimps

Sociobiology Penaeid Shrimps

Monday afternoon Sociobiology Branchiopods

Sociobiology Systematics

Monday evening Poster session with social, 5:30-7:00, Room 3

Tuesday morning Amphipods Rhizocephala

Ecology & Behavior Rhizocephala

Tuesday afternoon Miscellaneous Deepwater Crustacea

Blue crab I Deepwater Crustacea

TCS Business meeting 5:30-6:15

Tuesday evening No planned activities

Wednesday morning Blue Crab II

Blue Crab III

Wednesday afternoon Blue Crab IV

Blue Crab V

Recognition of Van Engel, 5:30-6:00

Wednesday evening Buses to VIMS at 6:30

Banquet at VIMS 7:00-11:00

Thursday Farewell

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MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2003, MORNING

Time Sociobiology & Behavior Time Biology of Exploited Penaeid Shrimps

Chair: Duffy & Thiel Chair: DeLancey & Wenner8:30-9:00# Bauer. Progress and problems in

understanding protandric simultaneoushermaphroditism in Lysmata shrimps(Caridea).

8:30-9:10# Minello. The biology and ecology of juvenilebrown shrimp, Farfantepenaeus aztecus.

9:00-9:30 Baeza* & Thiel. The mating system ofsymbiotic crustaceans: a model based oncost-benefit analysis and ecologicalconstraints.

9:10-9:30 Wenner*, Knott , Barans, Wilde , Blanton &Amft. Key factors influencing transport ofwhite shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus)postlarvae in southeastern U.S. estuaries.

9:30-9:50 DeLancey*, Whitaker, Jenkins, Maddox &Wenner. Field observations made on whiteshrimp, Litopenaeus setiferus, duringspawning season in South Carolina, 1980-2002.

9:30-10:00 Christy. Behavioral mechanisms of sexualselection by female choice in fiddler crabs.

9:50-10:10 Tsoi, Wang & Chu*. Genetic divergencebetween two morphologically similarvarieties of the kuruma shrimp Penaeusjaponicus.

10:00-10:30 Coffee Break 10:10-10:30 Coffee Break

Sociobiology & Behavior Biology of Penaeid Shrimps & Crayfish

Chair: Duffy & Thiel Chair: DeLancey & Wenner10:30-11:00 Wellborn. Ecological context and the

evolution of mating behavior in freshwateramphipods.

10:30-10:50 McMillen-Jackson* & Bert. Populationgenetic structure and phylogeography of threesympatric penaeid shrimp species in thewaters of the eastern United States.

10:50-11:10

11:00-11:30 Atema. The American lobster, a model ofsocial complexity mediated by chemicalsignals.

11:10-11:30

11:30-12:00 Kravitz. Fighting lobsters and fighting fruitflies: model systems for the study ofaggression.

11:30-11:50

Shrimp DiscussionAnd

Workgroup

12:00-1:30 Lunch 12:00-1:30 Lunch

#Note that the schedules are slightly different for concurrent sessions on the first day of presentations.

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MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2003, AFTERNOON

Time Sociobiology & Behavior Time General Session - Branchiopods

Chair: Duffy & Thiel Chair: Spears1:30-2:00 Thiel. Social behavior of parent-

offspring groups in crustaceans.1:30-1:50 Daniels,* Hamer & Rogers. Can patterns of

morphological similarity be reconciled withmolecular evidence to determine thebiogeographic genesis of the genusStreptocephalus?

1:50-2:10 Stenderup,* Glenner & Olesen. Multi geneanalysis on branchiopod phylogeny.

2:00-2:30 Childress. Comparativesociobiology of spiny lobsters.

2:10-2:30 Grygier* & Ferrari. Morphology and ontogeny oftrunk limbs of spinicaudatan clam shrimps.

2:30-2:50 Spears. Comparisons of population structure forthree large branchiopods co-occurring inephemeral pools in the Lake Munson Sandhillsregion of the Apalachicola National Forest.

2:30-3:00 Duffy. Comparative sociobiology ofsponge-dwelling shrimps.

2:50-3:10 Mayer* & Forward. Effects of fish chemicals oneclosion of Artemia franciscana (Branchiopoda:Anostraca) encysted embryos.

3:00-3:30 Coffee Break 3:10-3:30 Coffee Break

Sociobiology & Behavior General Session - Systematics

Chair: Duffy & Thiel Chair: Tudge3:30-3:50 Tóth & Duffy. Mass snapping

colony-wide communication insocial shrimp.

3:30-3:50 Poore. A new analysis of relationships ofperacarid orders.

3:50-4:10 Bergey,* Glover, Reichmuth &Weis. Behavioral differences in twopopulations of fiddler crabs (Ucapugnax).

3:50-4:10 Cumberlidge,* Reed & Vannini. Phytotelmy in anEast African freshwater crab.

4:10-4:30 Carpenter* & Yager. Feeding andgrooming behavior of two species ofremipedes: Speleonectes epilimniusand S. tulumensis.

4:10-4:30 Marques & Tudge*. Phylogenetic position ofAegla based on molecular data revisited usingdirect optimization of DNA sequences.

4:30-4:50 4:30-4:50 Rodríguez* & Felder. A phylogenetic survey ofPorcellanidae from the Gulf of Mexico andadjacent waters.

4:50-5:10 4:50-5:10 Boyko* & Harvey. Phylogenetic relationships ofthe Albuneidae and Blepharipodidae (Anomura:Hippoidea).

5:10-5:30

Workshop/Panel Discussion

5:10-5:30 Lemaitre* & McLaughlin. On hermit crabmythology, and how kings became hermits.

5:30-7:00 Poster session and mixer#Note that the schedules are slightly different for concurrent sessions on the first day of presentations.

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TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2003, MORNING

Time General Session - Amphipods Biology of Rhizocephala

Chair: Bishop Chair: Høeg8:30-8:50 Wilhelm,* Taylor, Venarsky & Adams. Oxygen

consumption of Gammarus acherondytes and G.troglophilus, two cave amphipods from Illinoiscaverns.

8:50-9:10 Bishop* & Geiger. Phronima energetics: life asa pelagic stowaway.

Høeg. The biology and life cycle of theRhizocephala: what we know and where to go.

9:10-9:30 Logan* & McCurdy. Impacts of fish predatorson demography of the intertidal amphipodCorophium volutator (Pallas).

Grygier. Comparison of life cycles in theRhizocephala and Tantulocarida (Crustacea:Maxillopoda).

9:30-9:50 McCurdy,* Forbes, Lui, Mautner & Boates.Male limitation in a key intertidal amphipod,Corophium volutator (Pallas).

Høeg,* Glenner, Huys, Kristensen & Møbjerg.The Rhizocephala and the Tantulocarida: acomparison of life cycles and the infestationprocess.

9:50-10:10 Chan* & Chu. DNA strand breakage in theamphipod Hyale crassicornis as a biomarker ofcoastal pollution.

Shields. Aspects of castration by Sacculinagranifera on the sand crab Portunus pelagicus.

10:10-10:30 Coffee Break Coffee Break

General Session - Ecology & Behavior Biology of Rhizocephala

Chair: Bauer Chair: Høeg10:30-10:50 Douglass* & Duffy. Trophic and demographic

mechanisms of competitive dominance inpericaridean mesograzers.

Chan. Distribution and morphology of Sacculinasinensis (Cirripedia: Rhizocephala) in HongKong.

10:50-11:10 Marijnissen* & Michel. Resource partitioningamong endemic freshwater crabs from LakeTanganyika, East Africa.

Gurney* & Grewe. Genetic affinities ofSacculina carcini (Cirripedia, Rhizocephala)parasitising three species of portunid host.

11:10-11:30 Poon. Spatial and temporal variation in diets ofthe mangrove grapsid crabs, Metopograpsusfrontalis and Perisesarma bidens: implications tomangrove outwelling.

Glenner,* Lützen & Takahashi. Molecular andmorphological evidence for a monophyleticclade of asexually reproducing parasiticbarnacles: Polyascus, new genus.

11:30-11:50 Baeza* & Bauer. Experimental test of sociallymediated sex change in a simultaneoushermaphrodite, the shrimp Lysmata wurdemanni(Crustacea: Caridea).

Carnegie,* Bower & Meyer. Molecularphylogenetics of Sylon in shrimp of BritishColumbia: can parasite (or host) genetics explainthe geographic discordance in host range?

11:50-12:10 Ambrosio,* Price & Strasser . Settlement cuesdetermining the distribution and host preferenceof Tunicotheres moseri (Rathbun) in Tampa Bay,FL

Lafferty,* Goddard, Torchin, Murphey, Garvey,& Kuris. Host specificity for Sacculina carciniagainst naïve crab species

12:10-1:30 Lunch Lunch

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TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2003, AFTERNOON

Time General Session - Miscellaneous TopicsEcology & Systematics of Deepwater

Crustacea

Chair: Tsukimura Chair: Nizinski1:30-1:50 Hasek* & Felder. Biochemical concentration of

ovary and hepatopancreas in the intertidal grapsoidcrabs, Armases cinereum and Sesarma nr.reticulatum.

Nizinski,* Ross & Sulak. Observations on speciescomposition and distributional ecology of galatheidsfrom Lophelia banks off North Carolina.

1:50-2:10 Jensen* & Bentzen. Paternity of dungeness crabs(Cancer magister) determined using novelmicrosatellite markers.

Hansknecht. Apseudomorph Tanaidacea and otherperacarids from deep-sea benthic samples in thenorthern Gulf of Mexico.

2:10-2:30 Tsukimura,* Rudnick, Veldhuizen, Tullis, Heib &Culver. A life history model for the Chinese mittencrab, Eriocheir sinensis.

Wicksten. Zoogeographic patterns of decapodcrustaceans of the continental slopes and abyssalplain of the Gulf of Mexico.

2:30-2:50 Rodríguez-Fourquet* & Sabat. Harvesting on theland crab Cardisoma guanhumi in Puerto Rico:effects on its abundance and survival.

Larsen. The tanaidacean fauna (Peracarida) from adeep-sea cold seep in the Gulf of Mexico;morphological novelities, origin and dietaryspecializations.

2:50-3:10 Taylor* & Kier. Postmolt crabs use a hydrostaticskeleton for support, movement, and locomotion.

Martin* & Shank. An update on decapod crustaceansfrom hydrothermal vents and cold seeps.

3:10-3:30 Coffee Break Coffee Break

Biology and Ecology of the Blue Crab IEcology & Systematics of Deepwater

Crustacea

Chair: Jivoff Chair: Nizinski3:30-3:50 Jivoff. The first measure of the sperm:egg ratio in

the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, and its impacton female reproductive potential.

Epifanio,* Dittel & Perovich. Larval dispersal of thevent crab, Bythograea thermydron.

3:50-4:10 Hopkins, D. Wolcott,* & T. Wolcott. Longevity,viability, and storage of sperm in the blue crab,Callinectes sapidus.

Osborn. Midwater and epibenthic munnopsids(Isopoda, Asellota) studied from a remotely operatedvehicle: ecology and phylogenetics.

4:10-4:30 Zmora,* Findiesen, Lipman, Stubblefield, Hines,Davis, Young-Williams & Zohar. Hatchery massproduction of blue crab juveniles.

Iwasaki. Behavior of deep-sea galatheid lobstersobserved using a deep seafloor observatory inNankai Trough, Japan.

4:30-4:50 Place,* Steven & Feng. Blue crab (Callinectessapidus) genetic structure and diversity.

Stevens,* Shirley & Donaldson. Depth distributionand habitat use of deepwater crabs on Gulf of Alaskaseamounts.

4:50-5:10 Priester,* Dillaman & Gay. Ultrastructure,histochemistry, and mineralization patterns in theecdysial suture of the blue crab.

Li* & Komai. Pandaloid shrimps from the notherrnSouth China Sea, with description of a new speciesof Plesionika (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea).

5:10-5:30 Rome,* Young-Williams, Hines, Goodison &Aguilar. Winter mortality of blue crabs(Callinectes sapidus) in Chesapeake Bay.

Markham. Isopoda Bopyridae from deepwaters: whatis there, what is not, and why?

5:30 TCS Business Meeting

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2003, MORNING

Time Biology and Ecology of the Blue Crab II - Recruitment

Chair: van Montfrans8:30-8:50 Johnson,* D. & Perry. Dispersal mechanisms for blue crab larvae.

8:50-9:10 Jones* & Epifanio. Spatial scale of patches of blue crab megalopae.

9:10-9:30 Barbour,* Posey & Alphin. Availability of brachyuran megalopae and settlementpatterns of Callinectes sapidus megalopae in the Cape Fear River estuary, NC.

9:30-9:50 van Montfrans,* Orth, Metcalf & Lipcius. Spatial variability in postlarval settlement,juvenile crab density, and size.

9:50-10:10 Reyns* & Eggleston. Secondary dispersal of juvenile blue crabs is density-dependent.

10:10-10:30 Coffee Break

Biology and Ecology of the Blue Crab III - Movement, Habitat & Ecosystem

Chair: Quackenbush10:30-10:50 Johnson,* E. & Eggleston. Demographic rates and movement patterns of blue crabs in

estuarine salt marshes.

10:50-11:10 Jensen & Miller*. Distribution, abundance, and density-dependent habitat use ofChesapeake Bay blue crab.

11:10-11:30 Lipcius, Seitz, Long,* Seebo, Lambert & Stockhausen. Ecosystem effects, carryingcapacity, and recruitment limitation in blue crab nursery habitats.

11:30-11:50 Lipcius,* Colon, Seebo & Seitz. Survival and recruitment of juvenile blue crabs invegetated and unvegetated nursery habitats of Chesapeake Bay.

11:50-12:10 Posey,* Alphin, Harwell & Allen. Relation between salinity and juvenile blue crabdistribution, growth, and survival in a river-dominated estuary.

12:10-1:30 Lunch

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2003, AFTERNOON

Time Biology and Ecology of the Blue Crab IV - Feeding & Diet

Chair: Hines1:30-1:50 Bell,* Eggleston & T. Wolcott. Feeding response of free-ranging blue crabs to

episodic hypoxia.

1:50-2:10 Hines,* T. Wolcott, Terwin & Thrush. Spatial scale of blue crab (Callinectessapidus) foraging on bivalve prey.

2:10-2:30 Seitz,* Lipcius & Seebo. Habitat-specific variation in food availability andgrowth of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in the field.

2:30-2:50 Gerdes* & Lipcius. Diet and abundance of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, inthree tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay.

2:50-3:10 Quackenbush,* Fasano, Lowder, Mori, Burnette & Broders. Growth in juvenileCallinectes sapidus.

3:10-3:30 Coffee Break

Biology and Ecology of the Blue Crab V - Stock & Management

Chair: Eggleston3:30-3:50 Davis,* G., B. Davis, Fegley, Brown, Swann, Crawford & Walstrum.

Implementation of a sentinal program for blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay,Maryland.

3:50-4:10 Lambert,* Seebo, Montane, Lipcius & Hoenig. Assessment of the effectivenessof the blue crab spawning sanctuary in Chesapeake Bay using tag-recapturemethods.

4:10-4:30 Eggleston,* Johnson, Etherington McKenna. Interacting effects of hurricanesand overfishing cause population collapse in blue crabs.

4:30-4:50 Wenner,* Delancey, Jenkins & Pashuk. Long-term trends in blue crab(Callinectes sapidus) stocks in South Carolina and hypotheses on factorsaffecting their status.

4:50-5:10 Carver, T. Wolcott*, D. Wolcott & Hines. Selective fishing pressure on largemales negatively affects male size, sex ratio, and population reproductivepotential in upper Ches. Bay.

5:10-5:30 Jensen,* Seppelt & Miller. A two-stage generalized additive model (GAM) forChesapeake Bay blue crab winter habitat.

5:30-6:00 Lifetime Achievement Award for Willard Van Engel

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POSTERS

Number refers to poster location.

27 - Aguilar,* R., M.A. Kramer, A.H. Hines, T.G. Wolcott, D.L. Wolcott and R.N. Lipcius. The Timing andRoute of Newly-Inseminated Blue Crabs in the Chesapeake Bay: Aspects of Female Migration.

17 - Asakura, Akira. Hermit Crabs of the Genus Pseudopaguristes (Decapoda Anomura Diogenidae) FromJapanese Waters.

10 - Barnes, Valorie, Tyjuana Nickens and Karen Reed*. Preliminary Results On the Effects of Preservatives OnVarious Generated Specimen Labels.

24 - Burnette,* Johanna, Sarah Broders and Scott Quackenbush. Growth in Eyestalk Ablated Juvenile Callinectessapidus.

19 - Delancey*, Larry, James Jenkins, Mark Maddox, Elizabeth Wenner, Pearse Webster, and Al Segars. “BlackGill” Infection in Penaeid Shrimp in South Carolina.

28 - Dillaman*, Richard, Michelle Collette, Delane Sullivan, Jessica Moyer, Jennifer Hans, Shannon Burcks,Holly Killen, Jessica Reavis, Carolina Priester and D. Mark Gay. Patterns of Cuticle Removal in theDorsal Carapace of Exuviae From Juvenile Callinectes sapidus.

13 - Fornshell, John A. A Key to Crustacean Nauplii

12 - Gasca,* Rebeca and Eduardo Suárez-Morales. Hyperiid amphipods (Crustacea) in Relation to a Cold-CoreRing in the Gulf of Mexico.

22 - Geer, Patrick. Black Gill Disease in the Georgia Shrimp Fishery.

20 - Gouws, Gavin, Barbara A. Stewart and Savel R. Daniels.* Cryptic Species Within the Freshwater IsopodMesamphisopus capensis (Phreatoicidea: Amphisopodidae) in the Western Cape, South Africa:Allozyme, Morphometric and 12s rRNA Sequence Data Evidence.

2 - Grygier, Mark. Distribution of Clam Shrimps (Branchiopoda: Spinicaudata & Laevi-Caudata) in Japan, and aHitherto Unreported Autumn Generation.

11 - Gulledge, Rose*, Elizabeth Nelson, Lana Ong and Karen Reed. Collection Information Now On-LineSmithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History.

15 - Jonkers, Anne Chris,* Saskia Marijnissen and Ellinor Michel. Chela Functional Morphology of EndemicFreshwater Crabs From Lake Tanganyika, East Africa

29 - King, R., S. Grap, D. Craige, and A. Hines.* Habitat Correlates of Blue Crabs and Bivalves in Subestuariesof Chesapeake Bay, USA

7 - King, Rachael A. and Gary C.B. Poore. A Phylogenetic Review of the Arcturidae (Isopoda: Valvifera).

14 - Lee,* Karen T. and Jeffrey S. Walter. Clearance Rates, Hunger and Food Hoarding in Green Crabs.

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4 - Mayer, Robert J., Gilbert Van Stappen* and Richard B. Forward Jr. Comparative Morphology of the ExternalFemale Genitalia of Five Recognized Species of the Brine Shrimp Artemia (Branchiopoda: Anostraca)From the Old and New World.

18 – Messick*, G.A. T.F. Nalepa, R. Overstreet and H. Vanderploeg. Parasites in Freshwater Zooplankton Fromthe Great Lakes, USA.

30 - Montane,* Marcel, John Hoenig and Romuald Lipcius. Evaluation of a T-Bar Tag For the Blue Crab,Callinectes sapidus.

8 - Nizinski, Martha S. Reassessing Biodiversity Estimates For Decapod Crustaceans Off the Eastern UnitedStates: The Importance of Species Discoveries, Improved Taxonomy and New Phylogenetic Hypotheses.

3 - Price,* Wayne, Richard Heard and Micah Bakenhaster. Records of Mysid Shrimps From the Turks andCaicos Islands, British West Indies.

16 - Rodríguez,* Antonio and Javier López. Distribution and Vertical Zonation of Uca tangeri (Eydoux, 1835) inthe Salt-Marshes of Toruños (S. W. of Spain).

6 - Schotte, Marilyn. Isopods in Your Backyard - an Educational Outreach Project.

31 - Schulman Farrar, Jessica, Eric Farrar, Robert Orth and Romuald Lipcius. Habitat Complexity as aDeterminant of Juvenile Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) Survival in Seagrass Beds of Chesapeake Bay.

25 - Seebo,* Michael, Marcel Montane and Romuald Lipcius. Experimental Evaluation of Growth in JuvenileBlue Crabs as a Function of Post-Settlement Size, Temperature, and Salinity.

23 - Shields,* Jeffrey D. and Hamish Small. In Vitro Culture of the Parasitic Dinoflagellate Hematodinium Sp.From the Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus.

5 - Suárez-Morales,* Eduardo and Edgar Tovar. Postnaupliar Stages of a Thaumatopsyllid Copepod From a ReefArea of the Western Caribbean Sea.

1 - Thiel, Martin, Eliecer Diaz and Ivan Hinojosa. Overt and Cryptic Female Choice During Mating in a MarineRock Shrimp.

21 - Urawa, Shigehiko, Mark Grygier* and Kazuya Nagasawa. Crustacean Parasites of Fishes in Lake Biwa andIts Watershed, Japan.

9 - Wenner, Elizabeth L., David M. Knott, Rachael A. King* and Susan L. Thornton. Establishment of theSoutheastern Regional Taxonomic Center (SERTC) in Charleston, SC.

26 - Zmora*, Nilli and John M. Trant. Characterization of Key cDNAs of the Endocrine Axes RegulatingReproduction and Molting in the Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus.

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ALPHABETICAL LIST OF ABSTRACTS BY AUTHOR

We have taken the liberty of editiing a few of your abstracts to better fit within the program.

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THE TIMING AND ROUTE OF NEWLY-INSEMINATED BLUE CRABS IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY:ASPECTS OF FEMALE MIGRATION.

Aguilar,1 R*, M.A. Kramer1, A.H. Hines1, T.G. Wolcott2, D.L. Wolcott2, and R.N. Lipcius3.1Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, aguilarr@si.edu. 2Department of Earth,Atmospheric, and Marine Sciences, North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 27695. 3 The College ofWilliam and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA

The movement of newly-inseminated blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) from lower salinity areas to themouth of the estuary is well documented. However, little is known about the timing and route of mature femalesduring this period in the Chesapeake Bay. To examine this, a fishery-dependent mark-recapture study is currentlybeing conducted in a mesohaline portion of the upper Chesapeake Bay. From June 1999 to October 2002, 1440mature female blue crabs were obtained from fishers, tagged, and released in the vicinity of the Rhode River,Maryland. To date, 167 crabs have been recaptured (11.6%). All recaptures except one, which occurred in FlaglerBeach, Florida, were caught within the Chesapeake Bay proper. A significant difference was found between themean distances moved by crabs released in summer (June-August) and those released in autumn (September andOctober; P = < 0.0001). Moreover, the percentage of individuals that moved > 15 km from release sites increasedsharply in autumn. Conversely, the majority of crabs released in the summer were recaptured near their respectiverelease site. The depth at recapture increased from summer (June- August) to autumn (September-November).These data indicate that the southerly movement of adult female blue crabs is higher in early autumn (Septemberand October) than in the summer months (June-August), suggesting a pulsed rather than uniform migration ofnewly-inseminated blue crabs. These data also suggest adult females are utilizing channel portions of themainstem Chesapeake Bay during migration.

SETTLEMENT CUES DETERMINING THE DISTRIBUTION AND HOST PREFERENCE OFTUNICOTHERES MOSERI (RATHBUN) IN TAMPA BAY, FL

Ambrosio,* John1, Wayne Price1 and Karen Strasser 2

1Department of Biology, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL 33606; lambrosio@ut.edu2Biological Science Department, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI 49307

The pea crab Tunicotheres moseri is a common symbiont with solitary ascidians throughout coastal waters ofWest Florida and the Caribbean. This crab exhibits abbreviated larval development characterized by the retentionof larvae on the abdomen of the adult female and release of free-swimming juvenile crabs for dispersal. Potentialsettlement cues and host preference of T. moseri were investigated to determine modes of dispersal for apopulation in Tampa Bay, Florida. Field collections of ascidians suggest that the prevalence of T. moseri issignificantly higher for Styela plicata than for Molgula sp. and may represent a host preference. Results fromsettlement cue experiments show a significant decrease of development time from first to second juvenile stagesin response to waterborne cues from conspecific adults as compared to host conditioned water. Sampling ofnumerous sites around Tampa Bay suggests that conspecific cues may have a stronger impact on populationdistribution than distribution of its preferred host, S. plicata.

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HERMIT CRABS OF THE GENUS PSEUDOPAGURISTES (DECAPODA ANOMURA DIOGENIDAE)FROM JAPANESE WATER.

Asakura, Akira.Zoology Department, Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, 260-8682, Japan; asakura@chiba-use.or.jp.

The recently established diogenid genus Pseudopaguristes McLaughlin, 2002 is characterized by eight functionalgills, male chelipeds with the right larger than the left, female chelipeds similar from left to right, fourthpereopods with a clump of long capsulate setae on the carpi, and the paired first and second pleopods modified asgonopods. This genus is nearly identical to the genus Paguristes Dana in many morphological characters, but itdiffers most significantly in gill number and the sexually dimorphic, enlarged right cheliped of the male. The typespecies, P. janetkae McLaughlin, 2002, was recorded from Guam, the Mariana Islands. I and my coworkersrecently found further two species of the genus from tropical Japanese water. They are morphologically verysimilar to each other but distinguished by coloration. In Pseudopaguristes sp. A, chelipeds and ambulatorypereopods are uniformly red, whereas Pseudopaguristes sp. B has alternating red and white bands on thechelipeds and the second through fifth pereopods.

THE AMERICAN LOBSTER, A MODEL OF SOCIAL COMPLEXITY MEDIATED BY CHEMICALSIGNALS

Atema*, Jelle; Boston University Marine Program, Woods Hole MA 02543, USA atema@bu.edu

The American lobster, Homarus americanus, has emerged as a unique model for the study of chemical signalsand social complexity among marine invertebrates. Ants, termites, bees and wasps present us with famousexamples of societies based in large part on chemical signals and a caste system. Lobsters appear to base theirsocial organization on the chemical recognition of individuals and their sex and dominance status. These long-lived crustacea inhabit individual shelters for several months and perhaps years. They interact frequently witheach other. Clusters of individuals and shelters are ruled by a dominant male. Dominance is established inescalating fights during which urine is blown at the opponent. Urine release is proportional to fight intensity.After some minutes of fighting the two combatants, regardless of their sex, remember each other's urine odor.They do not engage again in serious battle unless they have not interacted for more than a week. The aesthetascsensilla of the lateral antennular flagellum mediate this fast odor learning and subsequent recognition; even a fewsensilla suffice for recognition. Nephropore gland histology and large amounts of urine protein suggest thatlobsters –as do mice- may use specific protein patterns to identify individuals. Experiments on the establishmentof dominance order show that size, sex and physical handicap (missing legs and antennae) are less important thanprevious experience in winning fights and becoming dominant. Future winners of a dominance fight amongunfamiliar males release more urine early in the fight indicating their "confidence". Females can recognize from adistance the dominance of an unknown male. Both males and females recognize sex. Males recognize femalereceptivity. In summary, lobsters use both generic pheromones (for sex, dominance, molt and receptivity status)and individual markers to organize the interactions of their fluid social environment.

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THE MATING SYSTEM OF SYMBIOTIC CRUSTACEANS: A MODEL BASED ON COST–BENEFITANALYSIS AND ECOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS.

Baeza*, J. Antonio & Martin Thiel.Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana, 70504–2451 (JAB), and Department ofMarine Biology, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile (MT); jab9444@louisiana.edu

A model predicting the mating system of symbiotic crustaceans is proposed. The model is based on two mainassumptions; individuals attempt to maximise their fitness, and respond optimally (i.e. feature behaviors yieldingthe maximum net benefit) to environmental conditions. Host–monopolisation and movements among hosts areconsidered among the most important behaviors determining the optimal mating strategy of symbionts. Predationpressure, host abundance, relative host size (host size / symbiont size), and host morphological complexity affectmonopolisation of and movement among hosts by symbionts, thereby imposing constraints on their optimalmating strategy. A cost–benefit analysis indicates that individuals should decrease the rate of movement amonghosts with decreasing host abundance and increasing predation pressure, respectively. No effect on the rate ofmovement among hosts should occur due to differences in host morphology and relative size. The probability ofsymbionts monopolising hosts should increase with increasing predation pressure, but decrease with increasinghost abundance, host relative size, and host morphological complexity. Several mating systems are predicted tooccur depending upon specific sets of environmental conditions (i.e. monogamy when predation pressure is high,hosts are scarce, morphologically simple, and small or medium sized). This modelling approach represents a firststep to understand the diversity of mating systems in symbiotic crustaceans.

EXPERIMENTAL TEST OF SOCIALLY MEDIATED SEX CHANGE IN A SIMULTANEOUSHERMAPHRODITE, THE SHRIMP LYSMATA WURDEMANNI (CRUSTACEA: CARIDEA).

Baeza*, J. Antonio and Raymond T. Bauer.Department of Biology, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, 70504–2451, USA.jab9444@louisiana.edu

The shrimp L. wurdemanni is a simultaneous hermaphrodite. Individuals begin benthic life in a male phase (MP)but later change to a female phase (FP) in which they reproduce as females while retaining male reproductivefunction. The size of sex change varies considerably in natural populations. Although some of this variability isexplained by abiotic factors related to reproductive seasonality, the size of sex change may be influenced by socialgroup characteristics as predicted by sex allocation theory. We experimentally tested for social mediation of sexchange in L. wurdemanni by rearing MPs in both large and small social groups with different sex and sizecomposition. In “large groups,” MP sex-change candidates developed into FPs more quickly when reared withMPs of smaller size than with (a) only MPs of similar size, (b) only with FPs, and (c) a mixed group of MPs (ofsimilar size) and FPs. In “small groups,” single MP candidates were reared (a) alone, (b) with a single smallerMP, (c) a single MP of similar size, and (d) a single FP. MPs reared with a single female took longer to changesex in comparison to males isolated from conspecifics but there were no significant differences among othertreatment comparisons. Our results suggest social mediation of sex change in certain demographic situations. Sexchange of MP candidates is stimulated by the presence of smaller MPs (size–ratio induction) in large socialgroups. MPs change to FPs more quickly under these circumstances because there is no possibility ofreproduction as MP but reproduction as FP is maximal. Slower sex change in single MP–FP “groups” might beattributed to MP mating opportunities or to FP “competitive inhibition” of growth. Both social and abioticenvironmental cues may affect the size of sex change in L. wurdemanni shrimps.

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AVAILABILITY OF BRACHYURAN MEGALOPAE AND SETTLEMENT PATTERNS OFCALLINECTES SAPIDUS MEGALOPAE IN THE CAPE FEAR RIVER ESTUARY, NC

Barbour,* R. W., M. H. Posey, and T. D. Alphin. Department of Biological Sciences, University of NorthCarolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403; decapodsrus@yahoo.com

Several species of brachyuran crabs live primarily in the estuary, but their larvae are exported to coastal waters fordevelopment in the plankton and they must re-enter the estuary to occupy adult habitats. Recruitment/settlementis a key aspect of larval ecology and is often crucial to determining the overall abundance of the adult population.Juveniles of several of these crab species are often found more abundantly in oligohaline and mesohaline waterswhen compared to the polyhaline or euhaline areas of the estuary. This raises the question as to whethermegalopae are using selective tidal steam transport in order to reach the mid-upper estuary or whether they aresettling differentially in euhaline or polyhaline regions and migrating upriver as early juveniles. The question isparticularly relevant for the more poorly studied small, river-dominated systems prevalent along the southeasterncoast of the United States. Our study involved the use of plankton tows taken during night flood tides and larvalcollectors in adjacent shallows to look at the issue of larval supply and transport to mesohaline/oligohalineportions of the estuary. Sampling occurred in five-day windows around both the new and full moons from mid-June to mid-October. Plankton tow data indicates that Callinectes sapidus megalopae are often present in thewater column throughout the estuary however the pattern of settlement appears to shift over time. During themonths of July and August when megalopae numbers were low, settlement occurred primarily at the stationscloser to the mouth of the river but when numbers were high in September and October, settlement appears tohave shifted significantly to the upper estuarine stations. Other brachyuran species, such as Uca spp., displaydifferent distribution patterns during the recruitment phase.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS ON THE EFFECTS OF PRESERVATIVES ON VARIOUS GENERATEDSPECIMEN LABELS

Barnes, Valorie, Tyjuana Nickens*, and Karen Reed; Department of Systematic Biology, Invertebrate ZoologySection, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012

The durability of labels stored in various preservatives over a period of time is a very important collectionmanagement issue in the care and curation of specimens. We will compare the letter print quality and the degreeof ink bleeding of various specimen labels produced from ten different printers and stored in several differentpreservatives used in the Invertebrate Zoology Section. Data collected will help to determine the label qualityover time as compared to the cost of the printers and paper supplies.Summary handouts will be provided.

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PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS IN UNDERSTANDING PROTANDRIC SIMULTANEOUSHERMAPHRODITISM IN LYSMATA SHRIMPS (CARIDEA)

Bauer, Raymond. Dept. Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, 70504-2451; rtbauer@louisiana.edu

In Lysmata spp., studies on reproductive morphology and mating show that individuals mature first in a malephase (MP) and later change to a simultaneous-hermaphrodite female phase (FP). Some researchers, workingwith strictly protandric pandalid shrimps, proposed that the size (age) of sex change may be socially mediated,occurring earlier when females are rare in the population but later when females are abundant. In L. wurdemanni,a socially mediated delay in MP to FP sex change might evolve if large MPs (sex change delayed) were bettermale maters than FPs. The competitive male mating ability of MPs and FPs was tested. No reproductiveadvantage to large MP size could be demonstrated: FPs were just as effective in mating (as males) withprespawning FPs as large or small MPs. Other explanations for delayed sex change were suggested by a two-yearpopulation study in which the largest MPs were found in the fall and winter months. Rearing of MP sex-changecandidates under different reproductive conditions showed that MP change was slower in conditions presumedsuboptimal for embryo production and larval survival. MPs recruited early in the breeding season quickly changeand reproduce as FPs. Many MPs recruited later and reaching sex-change size in the autumn overwinter as largeMPs and delay change to FP until the spring reproductive season. Thus, abiotic conditions acting as proximate(spawning stimuli) and ultimate (larval survival) factors are a better explanation for delayed MP change thansocial mediation related to mating success. Another question of interest is the unique evolution of PSH inLysmata. The hypothesis of coevolution of pair living/PSH in protandric ancestors in low-resource environmentsand subsequent release from pair living with retention of PSH in descendants will be tested with a phylogenybased on socio-ecological, morphological, and molecular characters.

FEEDING RESPONSE OF FREE-RANGING BLUE CRABS TO EPISODIC HYPOXIA

Bell,* Geoffrey, David B. Eggleston, and Thomas G. Wolcott. Department of Marine, Earth, and AtmosphericSciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695; gwbell@unity.ncsu.edu

Episodic hypoxic events in estuaries can alter the trophic dynamics of important benthic predators. Thesepredators presumably migrate to recently hypoxic, deep-water habitats to take advantage of vulnerable infaunalprey (e.g. clams and polychaete worms) that have reduced their burial depth in response to hypoxia. We usedbiotelemetry techniques with concurrent measurements of dissolved oxygen (DO) to monitor the movement andfeeding responses of free-ranging blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, to episodic hypoxic upwelling events within thehighly eutrophic Neuse River Estuary (NRE), NC. Percent feeding occurrence and feeding rate (# of bites / 10min) did not increase during the relaxation of hypoxic upwelling events as was hypothesized, probably becausetelemetered crabs did not reinvade deeper water habitats during relaxation events. Although telemetered crabs fedin hypoxic water with DO concentrations as low as 1.01 mg/l, percent feeding occurrence and feeding ratedeclined when crabs were exposed to mild (DO = 2 – 4 mg/l) and severe hypoxia (DO < 2 mg/l), relative tonormoxic concentrations (DO > 4 mg/l). Furthermore, percent feeding occurrence and feeding rate were reducedduring hypoxic upwelling conditions except for the most severe events when DO dropped rapidly from normoxiato severe hypoxia. Blue crabs are more successful at moving to normoxic water during these severe events thanduring less severe events. Crabs that successfully avoided hypoxic water during upwelling events continued tofeed while those that remained in hypoxic water reduced their frequency of feeding. Our results suggest that free-ranging blue crabs do not move to deeper water to take advantage of vulnerable infaunal prey during relaxationevents and that feeding behavior may be interrupted during the onset of hypoxic upwelling if crabs do notsuccessfully move to normoxic water.

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BEHAVIORAL DIFFERENCES IN TWO POPULATIONS OF FIDDLER CRABS (UCA PUGNAX).

Bergey, Lauren,* T. Glover, J. Reichmuth, and J.S. WeisDepartment of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102; lbergey@pegasus.rutgers.edu

Previous studies have indicated that behavior of many organisms, including crabs, can be affected bycontaminants in their environment. In this study, we investigated whether behavior patterns and sedimentpreferences differed in crabs from a contaminated site compared with ones from a clean site. Fiddler crabs (Ucapugnax) and sediments were collected from two locations in New Jersey, one with a long history of multiplecontaminants (Piles Creek - PC) and the other relatively free of contaminants (Tuckerton- TK). Male crabs wereplaced in a container with PC sediments on one side and TK sediments on the other side, to see if there weredifferences in sediment preference and in other behaviors. They were videotaped, and tapes analyzed for theamount of time they spent on each type of sediment, the amount of time and preferred sediment for burrowing andfor feeding, and overall activity budgets. Crabs from each population spent more time on their native sediment,but both populations preferentially dug their burrows in PC sediment. While crabs from each population fedpreferentially on their native sediment, the TK crabs fed approximately twice as much (made twice as manyfeeding motions) as the PC crabs. Activity budgets indicated that the PC population spent much more time intheir burrows and displaying aggression, while the TK population spent more time grooming and feeding. Thusthere were differences both in sediment preferences and in activity budgets. Differences in sediment preferencecould be due to differences in particle size, nutrient content, or chemical cues between the two sediments. Somebehavioral differences could have been brought about by exposure to contaminants.

PHRONIMA ENERGETICS: LIFE AS A PELAGIC STOWAWAY

Bishop,* Renée1 and Stephen P. Geiger2

1Biology Department, Penn State University-Worthington Scranton, 120 Ridge View Drive, Dunmore, PA 18512;reb20@psu.edu; 2Florida Marine Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Hyperid amphipods are a morphologically diverse group of pelagic crustaceans that inhabit a unique niche withinthe marine environment. They are almost all symbionts, for at least a portion of their lives, with gelatinousorganisms such as salps, medusae, siphonophores and ctenophores. The symbiont may be used as a platform forfeeding, a food source or as a nursery for developing young. Hyperiid amphipods rank third in abundancefollowing copepods and euphausids as members of the marine crustacean zooplankton but the life history andbehavior of most species has not been examined in great detail. It has been theorized that hyperid amphipods aredescendents of benthic crustaceans which have developed a unique benthic-like existence on the pelagicsubstratum provided by gelatinous zooplankton. Their adaptations to the pelagic realm include variousmorphological, physiological and behavioral specializations. Our objective was to examine the physiologicaladaptations, through the use of energetics, of four species of Phronima found in the Caribbean and subsequentlycompare their metabolism and proximate composition to benthic crustaceans as well as pelagic crustaceans.Metabolism was addressed via the direct measurement of oxygen consumption as well as the activities of threeprimary metabolic enzymes; citrate synthase, lactate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase. Protein and lipidcontent were also examined to complete the comparison of Phronima energy usage to both benthic and pelagiccrustaceans.

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PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF THE ALBUNEIDAE AND BLEPHARIPODIDAE(ANOMURA: HIPPOIDEA).

Boyko,* Christopher B.1 and Alan W. Harvey2

1Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY; cboyko@amnh.org2Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

Phylogenetic hypotheses about relationships within the anomuran families Albuneidae and Blepharipodidae andbetween those families and other, closely related, anomurans were tested using morphological characters. A datamatrix of 169 characters was compiled and analyzed for 47 albuneids, six blepharipodids, and six putativeoutgroups. The analysis yielded 564 most parsimonious trees. Key shared features of these trees are that 1) theBlepharipodidae is a monophyletic group that emerges from within the Galatheoidea, and thus is not closelyrelated to the Albuneidae sensu stricto; 2) the Albuneidae s.s. is a monophyletic taxon; 3) the Albuneidae s.s.consists of two primary clades, corresponding to the Albuneinae and the Lepidopinae, with a few small genera ofuncertain affinity (i.e., Paralbunea, Stemonopa, and Zygopa). The position of the fossil taxa in these two familiesis also discussed with emphasis on the evolution of convergent characters.

GROWTH IN EYESTALK ABLATED JUVENILE CALLINCETES SAPIDUS.

Burnette,*Johanna, Sarah Broders, and Scott Quackenbush. Dept. Biological Sciences, University of NorthCarolina at Wilmington, NC, 28403. quackenbushs@uncw.edu

Juvenile (5-20mm) Callinectes sapidus were collected from mud flats in coastal North Carolina in Fall 2002.Crabs were held in individual cups in captivity for 120 days to determine the effect of eyestalk ablation on growthand molting. Eyestalk ablation removes the X organ sinus gland complex that produces peptide hormones, whichcontrol all aspects of internal physiology, including both growth and molting in adult crustaceans. Intact crabscollected at the same time, and maintained in the same aquarium systems served as controls. At each molt, theincrease in size of the carapace width was measured, and recorded for all crabs. Eyestalk ablated crabs had aboutthe same increase in growth as a percent of the total size as their intact controls. Molt cycle durations for bothgroups were also similar. The Mean Molt Increment of eyestalk ablated crabs was significantly larger thancontrols, and larger than other MMI’s recorded in the lab from previous experiments. All ablated crabs died afterthe third molt in captivity, they failed to complete their fourth molt successfully. Eyestalk ablation increased thegrowth at each molt without inducing a shorter molt cycle. Supported By: NSF: DBI 99-078613.

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MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS OF SYLON IN SHRIMP OF BRITISH COLUMBIA: CANPARASITE (OR HOST) GENETICS EXPLAIN THE GEOGRAPHIC DISCORDANCE IN SYLON’SHOST RANGE?

Carnegie, Ryan B.1*, Susan M. Bower2, and Gary R. Meyer2. 1Virginia Institute of Marine Science, GloucesterPoint, Virginia 23062. carnegie@vims.edu. 2Pacific Biological Station, 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo,British Columbia V9T 6N7, Canada.

The rhizocephalan Sylon occurs widely and infects numerous decapod crustaceans in northern waters. Syloninfecting different hosts along the coasts of Europe and North America are morphologically so similar that theyare thought to belong to a single circumboreal species, Sylon hippolytes Sars 1870. In British Columbia, Canada,at least five different hosts are infected by this rhizocephalan: Pandalus platyceros, P. jordani, P. tridens, P.danae, P. goniurus, and Spirontocaris holmesi. Bower and Boutillier (1990) found that degrees of parasitism ofthese hosts were discordant, particularly between waters north of Vancouver Island and waters to the south.Surveys over two years in areas north of Vancouver Island detected S. hippolytes in 3,548/20,744 (17.1%) P.platyceros but in only 1/147 (0.68%) P. jordani and 11/734 (1.5%) P. tridens. S. hippolytes has never beendetected in P. platyceros in the southern portion of the province, despite low prevalences of the parasite in otherspecies of shrimp. In one year in one area of the southern Strait of Georgia, for example, no (0/40,092) P.platyceros but 9/754 (1.19%) P. jordani and 1/54 (1.85%) P. holmesi were infected. This pattern may reflectintraspecific differences in susceptibility to S. hippolytes or in S. hippolytes’s specificity for shrimp hosts thathave begun to evolve in isolated populations. Alternatively, more than one species of Sylon may occur in BritishColumbia. We are using DNA markers to assess the subspecific genetic variability in British Columbia Sylon.Sylon infecting P. platyceros and P. jordani are identical at the relatively conserved SSU rDNA sequence level.

Bower, S.M. & J.A. Boutillier. 1990. Sylon (Crustacea: Rhizocephala) infections on the shrimp in British Columbia. In: F.Perkins and T. Cheng (eds.). Pathology in Marine Science. Academic Press, p. 267-275.

FEEDING AND GROOMING BEHAVIOR OF TWO SPECIES OF REMIPEDES: SPELEONECTESEPILIMNIUS AND S. TULUMENSIS

Carpenter, 1* Jerry H. and Jill Yager2; 1Dept. of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, HighlandHeights, KY 41099, carpenter@nku.edu, 2Dept. of Environmental & Biological Sciences, Antioch College,Yellow Springs, OH, 45387.

Specimens of Speleonectes epilimnius were kept alive in separate culture flasks for up to 180 days. Many S.tulumensis were observed in a Yucatan cave; 4 were kept in a 10 gallon aquarium in Mexico for 147 days; 2 werekept in culture flasks in Kentucky for up to 120 days. Water and mud from their home caves provided propersalinity and pH. Behaviors were videotaped for analysis. S. epilimnius occasionally dug into the mud,appparently to hide and to eat microorganisms. S. tulumensis swam close to the mud, but did not dig into it; theywere seen with balls of mud in their mouthparts. Both species ate small crustaceans. One S. epilimnius ate brineshrimp nauplii and passed their exoskeletons in feces in ~1 hour. Two S. tulumensis were seen capturing and“fighting” over a cave shrimp, Typhlatya sp. Two S. epilimnius fed on annelid worms, using maxillae 1 & 2 tohold, rotate, pierce and scratch the food; mandibles chewed tissue in typical crustacean fashion. One S. epilimniusate Eschericia coli containing green flourescent protein, which appeared in the gut under UV light. This andother observations support the hypothesis that remipedes use suspension feeding on microorganisms tosupplement their feeding on macroinvertebrates. Grooming occurred frequently, and grooming sequences took~5-10 min. Mouthparts cleaned each other, the curtain of aesthetascs and mouth area. Maxillipeds were mostactive in grooming. Antennae 1 were cleaned by rapidly sweeping them past anterior swimming appendages;antennae 1 were occasionally cleaned by mouthparts for several minutes. The long flexible bodies of remipedesallow them to curl into a circle and use mouthparts to slowly clean all swimming appendages and body segments.Several observations will be reported that further support the hypothesis that remipedes may also suspension feed.

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SELECTIVE FISHING PRESSURE ON LARGE MALE BLUE CRABS NEGATIVELY AFFECTSMALE SIZE, SEX RATIO, AND POPULATION REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL IN THE UPPERCHESAPEAKE BAY

Carver, Adina Motz, Thomas G. Wolcott*, Donna L. Wolcott and Anson H. Hines. Marine Earth & AtmosphericSciences, NC State Univ., Raleigh 27695 and Smithsonian Env. Res. Ctr., Edgewater MD 21037;tom_wolcott@ncsu.edu

A male-focused size-selective fishery, like the one targeting the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) along the Atlanticand Gulf coasts of the U.S., has the potential to reduce the average size of the males in the population, reduce thedensity of males in the population, and/or raise the sex ratio of females to males. All of these may affect themating dynamics of the population by reducing the amount of sperm that males provide to females and decreasingthe number of males available for copulation. We investigated the effect of the fishery on a blue crab populationin upper Chesapeake Bay by using three different approaches. Field-collecting crabs as individuals and matingpairs permitted assessing the size of males currently mating in nature, and the seminal resources they possess andtransfer to females. Average size of males in subpopulations that have been subjected to heavier fishing pressureis indeed smaller, and the smaller males pass less sperm and accessory fluid to females than would larger males ifstill present. Some males in pre-copulatory pairs are as sperm depleted as males that had just completedcopulation, indicating that they are mating more frequently than they can replace their seminal resources. Themost sperm-depleted males in the population are not even pairing or attempting to mate.

DISTRIBUTION AND MORPHOLOGY OF SACCULINA SINENSIS (CIRRIPEDIA: RHIZOCEPHALA)IN HONG KONG

Chan, Benny K.K. Dept. Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong, SAR China.

Sacculina sinensis (Cirripedia: Rhizocephalans) is an intertidal parasitic barnacle and was reported in Hong Kongby Boschma in 1933, infecting the crab Leptodius exaratus. No further studies after 1933 have been, however,conducted to investigate its distribution patterns and the morphology which is critical in providing backgroundinformation for further taxonomical and ecological studies. In the present study, S. sinensis had a limiteddistribution patterns in Hong Kong and confined to three out of nine sheltered boulder shores sampled and themean infection rate at each shore was about 3 %. The localized distribution of S. sinensis in Hong Kong isprobably due to its short larval stages (4 naupliar and 1 cyprids stage, completed in 4 – 5 days). The externa of S.sinensis are oval in shape with two distinct shoulders and the surface of external cuticle consists of spines. Fromhistological sectioning studies, the male receptacles are located outside from the visceral mass and the semiferouspart is globular in shape. The vas deferens part of the male receptacle are folded and connected with a thin tubewith thick cuticle coverings. The larval morphology of S. sinensis was investigated using Scanning ElectronMicroscopes (SEM). The appendages consist of simple setae in all naupliar stages when observed under lightmicroscopes but there are small spines on the surface when observed under SEM. Female cyprids has a post-axialsetae on segment II whilst it is absent from male cyprids. Segment III consists of attachment disc in both sexesand the male has a large posterior sac which is absent from females. In segment IV, male cyprids have a largeterminal sac, a subterminal sac, and three terminal setae. The segment IV of female cyprids located very close tothe attachment disc and the size of subterminal sac is smaller than the male cyprids. The function of the sub-terminal sac in segment IV is suggest helping the cyprids to locate the crab host.

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DNA STRAND BREAKAGE IN THE AMPHIPOD HYALE CRASSICORNIS AS A BIOMARKER OFCOASTAL POLLUTION

Chan,* Kwan Ling and Ka Hou Chu. Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, HongKong, China; kwanling_chan@yahoo.com.hk

DNA strand breakage, a non-specific and early damage to DNA, is a potential biomarker for assessing thegenotoxicity of pollutants. This study aimed to assess the potential of using DNA strand breaks in Hyalecrassicornis to monitor coastal pollution in Hong Kong. Single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay was used toquantify the level of DNA strand breaks. The genotoxicity of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and pentachlorophenol(PCP) at sub-lethal concentrations was tested in amphipods in 10-day exposure experiments. Higher levels ofDNA damage compared with control were detected in animals exposed to 6 mg/L H2O2 or 20 µg/L PCP. To studythe effect of test duration, amphipods were exposed to 6 mg/L and 8 mg/L H2O2 for 2 to 12 days. The level ofDNA strand breaks increased with test duration and increase in DNA damage was found to be significant after 8days of exposure. The results suggest that DNA strand breakage in H. crassicornis can be used as a biomarker inassessing the genotoxicity of pollutants. Studies on the use of this biomarker in testing environmental samples arenow in progress in order to assess its potential in pollution monitoring in Hong Kong.

COMPARATIVE SOCIOBIOLOGY OF SPINY LOBSTERS

Childress, Michael J. Dept of Biol Sci, Clemson Univ., Clemson, SC 29634, mchildr@clemson.edu

Spiny lobsters show a wide range of social behaviors, from den sharing to defensive rosettes to migratory queues.These behaviors are particularly remarkable since they have presumably evolved in the absence of kin selection.A long-lived planktonic larva effectively eliminates the possibility that lobsters will be able to interactpreferentially with kin upon settlement. Therefore, spiny lobster cooperation must have evolved by either mutualbenefit or reciprocity. Lobster sociality is mediated by olfactory cues leading to conspecific attraction. Forexample, in juvenile Panulirus argus, the onset of attraction to conspecifics occurs concomitant with amicrohabitat shift from sheltering in algae to sheltering in crevices. Den sharing is usually random, butaggregation indices are positively correlated with lobster density. For juvenile Jasus edwardsii, den sharingreduces predation risk by group defense but for juvenile P. argus no such benefit exists. When resting in theopen, adult P. argus and J. edwardsii aggregate in tight formations. These defensive rosettes decrease the attacksuccess of piscine predators. During fall migration, P. argus and P. marginatus move in single file queues. Thebenefit of queuing reduces drag and keeps conspecifics in close contact presumably reducing predation risk.Despite these important benefits of sociality, some reef-obligate species such as P. guttatus and P. versicolor donot migrate and rarely share dens. This suggests that sociality in spiny lobsters may have evolved in those speciesthat are highly mobile and change habitats during ontogeny. Conspecific attraction may be the most importantbenefit of sociality in lobsters for it allows individuals to find crevice shelters or conspecifics regardless of theirknowledge of the area. Thus, in lobsters as well as other animals, public information about the location ofconspecifics serves as a reliable cue leading to resources such as food, protective shelter, defensive partners andmates, and may be the mutual benefit underlying their non-kin sociality.

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BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS OF SEXUAL SELECTION BY FEMALE CHOICE IN FIDDLERCRABS.

Christy, John H., Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Unit 0948, APO AA 34002; christyj@naos.si.edu.

The extreme sexual dimorphism in claw size exhibited by fiddler crabs (genus Uca, approximately 100 species) isgenerally believed to be the product of sexual selection. The importance of large male and claw size in winningfights has been documented in several species leaving little doubt that male-male competition for mates hasshaped male morphology and aggressive behavior. The contribution to sexual selection of female preferencesbased on male size, morphology and signaling behavior has been more difficult to document and is much less wellunderstood. In species that mate on the surface near the female’s burrow male claw waving and other visualsignals are not essential. Some, perhaps many, surface copulations do not lead to fertilization and instead may bea form of social currency that females use to avoid being ousted from their burrows. Mating patterns, courtshipsignaling and female preferences in sequences leading to underground mating in males burrows have been studiedintensively but only in a few species. In three of four species in which it has been studied, females choose mates,in part, by preferring burrows that have specific characteristics known or presumed to correlate with femalereproductive success. Holding burrow characteristics constant, females of three species do not prefer largermales, but in one species they may do so. The effects of male signals on female preferences have been studied indetail in three species. Uca annulipes males gather around females in groups and wave synchronously. Femalesprefer males that produce leading waves with fast down strokes and who also produce waves that do not overlapwith other males’ waves. Females may be attracted to these signal components because they allow her to betterlocate and orient to the male thus reducing her time on the surface moving at risk between burrows and males. Astrong case for the importance of male signals for female orientation has been made in a study of theattractiveness of the sand hoods of Uca musica and the mud pillars of Uca beebei. These structures are attractivebecause they elicit a risk-reducing behavior that has been selected by predation and not for mate choice.

PHYTOTELMY IN AN EAST AFRICAN FRESHWATER CRAB

Cumberlidge,* Neil1, Sadie Reed1 and Marco Vannini2

1Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, 49855, USA;ncumberl@nmu.edu; 2Zoological Museum of the University of Florence, "La Specola" via Romana 17, 50125Firenze, Italy

This work reports on the taxonomy and ecology of an interesting species of tree-hole living freshwater crab(Potamonautes raybouldi) from Tanzania and Kenya, East Africa. The distribution and relationships of thisphytotelmic decapod crustacean are described. The phenomenon of the use of water-filled tree-holes by otherspecies of true freshwater crabs is discussed.

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CAN PATTERNS OF MORPHOLOGICAL SIMILARITY BE RECONCILED WITH MOLECULAREVIDENCE TO DETERMINE THE BIOGEOGRAPHIC GENESIS OF THE FAIRY SHRIMP GENUSSTREPTOCEPHALUS (BRANCHIOPODA: ANOSTRACA)?

Daniels,* S. R.1, M. Hamer2 and C. D. Rogers3. 1Zoology Department, University of Stellenbosch, Private BagX1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa; srd@sun.ac.za; 2Department of Zoology and Entomology, University ofNatal, Private Bag X1, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa; 3EcoAnalysts Inc., 166 Buckeye Street, Woodland, CA95695, USA

The origin of the species rich fairy shrimp genus Streptocephalus has long been disputed. Based on amorphological analysis of the global Streptocephalus species, Maeda-Martinez et al. (1995) designated ninedistinct groups indicating that species on different continents have a closer phylogenetic relationship to taxaelsewhere. These authors further speculate that the contemporary distribution of taxa is the result of vicarianceand dismiss the possibility of dispersal. In their opinion, these results imply either a Gondwana or Pangaeanorigin in Laurasia. Banarescue (1990), however, is of the opinion that the genus evolved in Africa, dispersed toEurope, India and Asia and recently dispersed into North America. Systematically, the genus has been unstableand a number of subgenera have been proposed. In the present study the phylogenetic relationships in the fairyshrimp genus Streptocephalus are examined with the use of sequence data from the 12S rRNA and COImitochondrial DNA in an attempt to test the following hypothesis. First, to examine the contradictory hypothesisregarding the evolution and biogeography of the genus. Secondly to explore the validity of the morphologicalgroupings proposed by Maeda-Martinez et al. (1995). Thirdly, to examine the proposed subgeneric divisions.The molecular phylogeny for this group demonstrates that the genus probably evolved in Gondwana andsubsequently dispersed to North America, thus providing marginal support for the hypothesis of Maeda-Martinezet al. (1995). No support is evident for the nine morphological groupings, and the majority of the testedsubgeneric divisions appear to be invalid taxonomically.

IMPLEMENTATION OF A SENTINEL PROGRAM FOR BLUE CRABS IN CHESAPEAKE BAY,MARYLAND

Davis,* G.R., B.K. Davis, L. Fegley, H. Brown, J. Swann, K. Crawford, and J.C. Walstrum. MarylandDepartment of Natural Resources, Stevensville, MD 21666; GDavis@dnr.state.md.us

Regulations limiting the harvest effort toward blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, have recently been implemented inChesapeake Bay with the goal of reducing fishing mortality and increasing spawning stock abundance. While thefishery independent surveys have proven to supply adequate measurements of population status, several importantquestions are not answered by fishery independent means alone. Spatial and temporal characteristics and theeffects of regulation on fishery removals are best addressed through fishery dependent sampling. In 2002 theMaryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) initiated the Cooperative Blue Crab Data CollectionProgram (CBCDCP), where watermen in different sectors of the fishery from different areas of the ChesapeakeBay were paid to measure a sample of their catch weekly. These data were grouped monthly by riversystem/mainstem area and analyzed for spatial, temporal, and gear type differences in size and catch per uniteffort. Size distributions indicated that a change in minimum harvestable size of male blue crabs (127 mmcarapace width (cw) to 133 mm cw) had a disproportionate effect among different regions of Maryland. In thesoutheastern region up to 48% of previously legal male crabs were below the new minimum size, while in thenorthern areas 3% - 9% of male blue crabs fell between 127 and 133 mm cw. Spatially and temporally explicitestimates of mean size were calculated and used along with commercial harvest reports to estimate the number ofindividuals harvested in Maryland.

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“BLACK GILL” INFECTION IN PENAEID SHRIMP IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

DeLancey*, Larry, James Jenkins, Mark Maddox, Elizabeth Wenner, Pearse Webster, Al Segars.South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division, Charleston, South Carolina, 29412.delanceyl@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us

An unidentified ciliate has infected commercially important penaeid shrimp along the southeastern U.S. coastsince 1996. Melanization appears on gills in mid to late summer, and declines as water temperatures fall inautumn and early winter. Although survey collections have yielded near 100% infection rates during peakseasons, lethal or sublethal effects remain unknown. The infection was not noted in 2001, after winter watertemperature had fallen below 8°C (killing the bulk of the overwintering white shrimp, Litopenaeus setiferus), butreappeared in 2002. Stress-related factors such as high water temperature and heavy freshwater run off havebeen thought to be related to onset of infection.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS MADE ON WHITE SHRIMP, LITOPENAEUS SETIFERUS, DURINGSPAWNING SEASON IN SOUTH CAROLINA, 1980-2002.

DeLancey*, Larry, J. David Whitaker, James Jenkins, Mark Maddox, Elizabeth Wenner. South CarolinaDepartment of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division, Charleston, South Carolina, 29412.delanceyl@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us

Trawl collections made aboard commercial and research vessels were analyzed for biological information onmature white shrimp. Parameters including relative abundance, sex ratios, and stage of ovarian development wereexamined. Catch rates showed wide variation based upon year and often by collection. Seasonal watertemperature was shown to be important in determining onset of development in female white shrimp, andsubsequently, peaks in spawning activity. Such data has been used to manage season openings and should beuseful in characterizing important habitats.

PATTERNS OF CUTICLE REMOVAL IN THE DORSAL CARAPACE OF EXUVIAE FROMJUVENILE CALLINECTES SAPIDUS.

Dillaman*, Richard; Michelle Collette, Delane Sullivan, Jessica Moyer, Jennifer Hans, Shannon Burcks, HollyKillen, Jessica Reavis, Carolina Priester, D. Mark Gay. Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of NorthCarolina at Wilmington, NC, 28403. dillamanr@uncw.edu

Exuviae from juvenile blue crabs (10-58 mm carapace width) analyzed for calcium content by atomic absorptionspectrophotometry had concentrations of calcium in the dorsal carapace that varied widely among crabs. Incarapace samples taken from intermolt crabs, calcium values clustered around 20% and the large variation incalcium concentrations disappeared, regardless of the salinity in which the crabs were reared (5, 15, 20 or 30ppt).Examination of exuviae indicated that resorption of the old carapace was not uniform among individuals nor wasthere a homogeneous pattern of resorption within a single individual. Further, when exuviae were treated withClorox (4.25% sodium hypochlorite) and examined, a pattern of mineral (calcite) removal was detected. Etchingproduced contiguous circular stacks of calcified lamellae. The diameter of each lamella decreased from thedeepest to the most superficial layer. Almost every circular stack had a large canal in its center. Dye studiesindicate that this canal passes through the entire carapace and appears to contain the cellular components of theshort hair sensilla on the surface of the dorsal carapace. The walls of the canal are more heavily calcified than thesurrounded carapace and this is consistent with the hypothesis that mineralization in the exocuticle andendocuticle radiates from this structure. Supported by NSF: DBI 99-78613 and IBN-0114597.

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TROPHIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC MECHANISMS OF COMPETITIVE DOMINANCE INPERICARIDEAN MESOGRAZERS

Douglass,* James and J. Emmett Duffy. Biological Sciences Department, Virginia Institute of Marine Science,Gloucester Point, VA 23062; james@vims.edu

Previous experiments at both plant and consumer levels have demonstrated links between species richness andecosystem properties such as productivity and consumption rates. Such affects can often be attributed todominance of certain species at high diversity, yet the organismal characteristics that promote dominance inmulti-species consumer assemblages remain unclear. Four species of pericaridean crustacean mesograzers werecultured in microcosms to test for functional differences in feeding ecology and population growth rates that mayexplain dominance relations that develop in multi-species assemblages. The crustaceans were also examined inall possible 2, 3, and 4 species combinations for interactions that might affect ecosystem processes; i.e. secondaryproduction of grazers and grazing impact on primary producers. The grazer species differed in food web linkages,trophic interaction strengths, and in population growth rates. These functional differences influenced theproperties of multi-species treatments. Consumer species richness had no clear effect on grazing impact orsecondary production, however, primarily because a single species, Idotea balthica, dominated most processesmeasured. Tests confirmed the proclivity of some species towards intra-guild predation on juveniles of their ownand other grazer species. Analysis of demographic dominance versus organismal characteristics showed thatfacultative carnivory correlated with competitive success in our microcosms.

COMPARATIVE SOCIOBIOLOGY OF SPONGE-DWELLING SHRIMPS

Duffy, J. Emmett. School of Marine Science and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of Williamand Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346, USA. jeduffy@vims.edu.

Within the tropical shrimp genus Synalpheus, the monophyletic gambarelloides species group contains ~30species of internal symbionts of sponges, most of which specialize on a small number of host species. Theseshrimp are diploid, probably sequential hermaphrodites, with sedentary adults, and the group includes both directdevelopers and species with planktonic larvae. Social organization ranges from heterosexual pairs to eusocialcolonies with strong reproductive skew, multiple adult generations, and cooperative nest defense. Phylogeneticanalysis strongly supports at least three independent origins of eusociality within the gambarelloides group.Comparisons among species of Synalpheus, and with other animal taxa, suggest that coincidence of fourcharacteristics has fostered eusociality in these Synalpheus taxa: (1) direct development resulting in very limiteddispersal and kin association, (2) ecological specialization on a valuable, long-lived resource (the host sponge),(3) strong competition for the host resource, and (4) possession of weaponry (the snapping claw) effective inmonopolizing it. These factors foster long-term occupation and defense of specific nest sites by multigenerationalfamily groups, resulting in low turnover of breeding opportunities in social Synalpheus species. In the best-studied species, S. regalis, such dynastic lineages are headed by one or a few breeders of each sex, and non-breeding adults defend the colony from intruders. The coincidence of these four characteristics in certain lineagesof Synalpheus appears unique within Crustacea and may explain why they are the only known eusocial marineanimals. The characteristics of social shrimp are similar to those previously suggested to foster cooperativebreeding and eusociality in insects and vertebrates, bolstering support for general explanations of eusocialitybased on the interplay of life history and ecological constraints.

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INTERACTING EFFECTS OF HURRICANES AND OVERFISHING CAUSE POPULATIONCOLLAPSE IN BLUE CRAB

Eggleston,* David, Eric Johnson, Lisa Etherington, Sean McKenna. Department of Marine, Earth andAtmospheric Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695; eggleston@ncsu.edu

During 1999-2002 we identified a concurrent and precipitous decline in abundance, spawning stock, YOY, andpostlarval stages of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in Pamlico Sound, NC. Specifically, adult abundancedeclined by 74%, spawning stock by 75%, young-of-the-year (YOY) by 63%, and postlarvae by 71%. Fisheries-dependent and -independent data suggests that the decline was due to the interacting effects of three sequentialhurricanes in fall, 1999, which caused 50- to 500-year flooding in the Pamlico Sound watershed, and intense,localized fishing pressure. Floodwaters caused massive relocation of crabs from up-estuary tributaries to thecentral portion of the Sound. For example, the decline in crab numbers in the Neuse River during fall 1999 wasover 1,000% above the historical average. Crabs that were concentrated in the Sound were subject to intensefishing where catch rates increased by 370% statewide compared to average catch. Concurrently, postlarvalsupply to the Sound was extremely high during fall 1999 as a consequence of hurricane wind-driven transport, yetthere was apparent recruitment failure in 1999. Our data suggests that recruitment failure was due, in part, todisruption of secondary, pelagic dispersal of early juvenile crabs to inner-Sound nursery habitats by hurricanefloodwaters. We suggest that the concurrent and precipitous decline in NC’s blue crab population beginning in1999-2000 and persisting to present was due to overfishing localized, high concentrations of crabs displaced byhurricane floodwaters and subsequent low recruitment of YOY due to continued intense fishing pressure on thespawning stock.

LARVAL DISPERSAL OF THE VENT CRAB, BYTHOGRAEA THERMYDRON

Epifanio,* C.E., A.I. Dittel, G.M. Perovich. Graduate College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware,Lewes, DE 19958; epi@udel.edu

This talk will present a conceptual model of larval dispersal of the vent crab Bythograea thermydron. This modelwill be compared to more established models for shallow-water crustaceans. Data used in constructing the B.thermydron model include: 1) females from vent sites at the East Pacific Rise undergo a seasonal cycle of ovariandevelopment that results in iteroparous spawning at an annual frequency (eggs hatch in April-May); 2) femaleswith mature ovaries migrate from the vent-orifice region to the vent periphery where extrusion, brooding, andhatching of eggs occurs; 3) zoea larvae are extremely rare at the vent sites; 4) megalopa larvae have retinalpigments that are most sensitive to wavelengths characteristic of the bathypelagic zone (ca. 1000 m); 5) megalopalarvae are strong swimmers that display persistent swimming behavior at ambient deep-sea temperatures andsettling behavior at warm temperature typical of vent sites; 6) megalopa larvae have stable isotope signals thatindicate their dependence on phytoplankton-based primary production; and 7) megalopa larvae are eurythermaland eurybaric, which renders them physiologically capable of exploiting the entire 2500-m water column abovethe vents. Taken as a whole, these seven findings suggest that larvae undergo development in the water columnoutside the vent plume, perhaps as part of the bathypelagic zooplankton. Details of their transport and eventualsettlement at vent sites are yet to be determined.

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A KEY TO CRUSTACEAN NAUPLII

Fornshell, John A. Department of Systematic Biology National Museum of Natural History, SmithsonianInstitution Washington, D.C. 20560-0163

Crustacean nauplii have been known since the time of von Leeuwenhoek (Gurney, 1942). The nauplius is theearliest free - living stage in the development of most crustaceans. They may be very numerous, accounting forup to 90% of the total net plankton (Fornshell, 1994).For these reasons the Crustacean nauplius deserves more than a causal treatment in biological laboratoryinstruction. There are a few taxonomic keys in the literature for the identification of nauplii. There is no singleworldwide key for the identification of marine crustacean nauplii. A key has been developed to facilitate thestudy of these larvae. The key includes a section for keying planktonic copepod nauplii to their developmentalstage. The key is available in printed form and as a Java based computer program.Because of their relatively delicate nature, nauplii are best collected using a fine mesh plankton net, which istowed at a slow speed for brief periods of time. This will avoid clogging and damage to the specimens andfacilitate quantitative and morphological study. Nauplii may also be obtained from populations reared in thelaboratory. The specimens should be fixed in buffered Formalin or alcohol.

HYPERIID AMPHIPODS (CRUSTACEA) IN RELATION TO A COLD-CORE RING IN THE GULF OFMEXICO

Gasca,* Rebeca and Eduardo Suárez-Morales. National Museum of Natural History-S.I. and El Colegio de laFrontera Sur (ECOSUR). Systematic Biology. MRC-163. Crustacea. Washington, D.C. 20013-7012.

The species composition, distribution, and abundance of the hyperiid amphipods collected in March 1993 across aGulf of Mexico cold-core ring (CCR) were analyzed. Hyperiids were represented by 56 species, out of which 21 havenot been recorded previously in gulf waters. Overall, hyperiids were more abundant within (59%) than outside theCCR (41%). All inside CCR stations were sampled at night. Night outside vs. night inside CCR hyperiid faunasshowed important differences in terms of species composition and density. Cluster analysis indicated that day sta. 5on the edge but outside the CCR was more similar to those stations inside the CCR (nighttime samples) than to theother daytime samples. Moreover, all the stations outside the CCR were clustered together independently of their dayor night origin. Differences found seemed to be more related to the CCR conditions than to day/night variations. Theanalysis of three congeneric couples with inverse CCR-related abundance and with known or inferred migratorypatterns strengthened the idea that these couples are probably separated by thermal preferences; also, their verticalmigratory patterns seem to be abnormal inside the CCR. A relatively higher concentration of immature stages insidethe CCR supports the idea that the enriched CCR waters constitute areas of increased production. Furthermore, thishigher productivity enhances the chances of hyperiids to find their hosts, the gelatinous zooplankters, which are in factmore abundant inside the CCR.

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BLACK GILL DISEASE IN THE GEORGIA SHRIMP FISHERY

Geer,* Patrick. Commercial Fisheries Program, GA Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, GA, 31520;patrick_geer@coastal.dnr.state.ga.us

The penaeid shrimp fishery is the most valuable fishery in the United States’ South Atlantic. Georgia aloneharvests an average 4.5 million pounds (tails) annually with a dockside value of nearly 17 million dollars. Factorssuch as winter water temperatures, salinity, and river flow all impact annual harvest. Disease may also play a rolein landings and abundance. Black gill disease is a common threat to farm raised shrimp and is caused by parasiticciliated protozoa of the genus Ascophrys. The disease results in black discoloration and atrophy of the gillfilaments with potential destruction of the host’s respiratory processes and secondary infection. The disease wasfirst observed in wild harvest shrimp in Georgia in the fall of 1996. Outbreaks have since occurred in 1999, 2000,and most recently in 2002. Disease outbreaks usually first appear in South Carolina in mid-July, then spreadsouthward to Georgia’s northern sound systems by August. Prevalences peak in September and October, andthen dissipate with cooling temperatures by December. The annual infection rate in 2002 was the highestrecorded at 33.6%. Following a very successful winter and spring harvest, fall white shrimp landings were down50% the 20 year average with many commercial shrimpers believing black gill disease to be responsible. Fisheryindependent data from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources were collected on a monthly basis on sixsound systems to determine the abundance and health of the shrimp stocks. These data were examined inconjunction with environmental variables to determine the relationship between the prevalence of this disease andshrimp abundance in Georgia’s coastal waters.

DIET AND ABUNDANCE OF THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPIDUS, IN THREE TRIBUTARIESOF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

Gerdes,* Paul, and Romuald Lipcius. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of Williams and Mary,Gloucester Point, VA 23062 USA; arete@vims.edu

The natural diet of the blue crab was investigated in three major tributaries of Chesapeake Bay (James, York andRappahannock Rivers) over eight years. Foregut contents of 1106 intermolt specimens that ranged from 24-171mm CW were collected from three upriver sites, where crabs are abundant. Samples were obtained in daylight9.1-m bottom trawls at depths of 5.7-10.1 m from July-October 1988-1995. Crabs were sorted into three sizegroups (<63, 64-133, >133 mm). Only foreguts that were greater than 50 % full were examined. Ten main foodcategories were identified. Dietary investigation was based on the index of relative importance, which combinedfrequency of occurrence, percentage of total volume, and percentage of total numbers consumed. The diet of C.sapidus included a wide range of benthic invertebrates as well as opportunistic scavenging. Bivalves constitutedthe majority of the diet while plant material, crustaceans, nereid polychaetes, fish, and gastropods made up theremainder. Abundance declined substantially after 1991, which was reflected in the diet composition.Cannibalism was common and apparently density-dependent, which may influence year-class strength.

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MOLECULAR AND MORPHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR A MONOPHYLETIC CLADE OFASEXUALLY REPRODUCING PARASITIC BARNACLES: POLYASCUS, NEW GENUS(CIRRIPEDIA: RHIZOCEPHALA)

Glenner,1* H. , J. Lützen, 2 and T. Takahashi3

1Department of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15,DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark HGlenner@zi.ku.dk; 2Department of Zoomorphology, Zoological Institute,University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; 3Faculty of Environmentaland Symbiotic Science, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, 3-1-100, Tsukide, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan

Rhizocephala is a group of extremely reduced parasitic crustaceans, that exclusively parasitize other Crustacea. Inthe family Sacculinidae the external sac-like part (externa) of the adult parasite contains the reproductiveapparatus and is attached beneath the abdomen of the host crab. Hosts with more than one externa may occur andare in most cases believed to have arisen from many infective cyprid larvae. However, in three species of thegenus Sacculina, multiple externae have been shown to originate by asexual reproduction from a single parasiticcypris larva. We present a phylogenetic analysis of ten solitary or sexually reproducing species of Sacculina andoutgroups based on partial sequences from the cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) and the entire 18s rDNA gene. Aseparate parsimony analysis from the 18s rDNA and CO1 genes resulted in two trees with almost identicaltopologies. Both genes strongly support a monophyletic asexually reproducing clade and fail to support amonophyletic Sacculina genus. As a consequence we have established a new genus, Polyascus, to accommodatethree members of this clade which also share a number of common morphological features.

CRYPTIC SPECIES WITHIN THE FRESHWATER ISOPOD MESAMPHISOPUS CAPENSIS(PHREATOICIDEA: AMPHISOPODIDAE) IN THE WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA:ALLOZYME, MORPHOMETRIC AND 12S RRNA SEQUENCE DATA EVIDENCE.

1Gouws, Gavin, 2Barbara A. Stewart and 1Savel R. Daniels*1Department of Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa2Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management, University of Western Australia, 444 Albany Highway,Albany WA6330, Australia

The freshwater phreatoicidean isopod Mesamphisopus capensis has been regarded as the most widespread of thefour Mesamphisopus species occurring in the Western Cape, South Africa. To determine whether this specieswas monotypic across its distribution over two mountainous regions, separated by a low-lying coastal plainremnant, genetic differentiation among populations from 11 localities was studied through allozymeelectrophoresis of 12 loci and sequencing of a 338 bp 12S rRNA mtDNA fragment from representativeindividuals. Populations of the two regions were separated by a mean identity value of 0.477. Fixed alleledifferences at two loci distinguished these regions. FST-estimates indicated substantial differentiation amongpopulations across the entire sample, as well as within each of the regions. Topologies derived throughparsimony and neighbour-joining supported the monophyly of the two regions. On the basis of these topologies,allele frequencies, and allozyme dendrogram, five groups were identified. Discriminant function analyses,performed on body and pereiopod variables, independently, revealed these groups to be well differentiated withhigh correct a posteriori reclassification. These five distinct forms may be considered to be putative species usinggenetic distance criteria. From a conservation perspective, the two regions can be seen to represent twoEvolutionarily Significant Units, while the five groups should be regarded as Management Units.

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COMPARISON OF LIFE CYCLES IN THE RHIZOCEPHALA AND TANTULOCARIDA(CRUSTACEA: MAXILLOPODA)

Grygier, Mark. Lake Biwa Museum, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-0001, Japan; grygier@lbm.go.jp

In both the Rhizocephala Kentrogonida and the Tantulocarida a life stage exists that bears a cephalic stylet. In theabsence of precise data concerning its morphogenesis and function in the latter group, this stylet may be treated asa potential synapomorphy of the Rhizocephala and Tantulocarida, if the instars in which it occurs are homologous(a proposed homology of the kentrogon stylet with the barnacle peduncle is cast in doubt by not meeting thiscriterion). Until now the cypris larva and tantulus larva, respectively, of the two groups have been named thehomologous stages, and also the first kentrogon larva of the Rhizocephala and the first post-cyprid stage ofbarnacles. In contradiction to this, the female and male tantulus larvae are reinterpreted here as homologues of thefemale (second?) kentrogon (and by extension, male trichogon) larvae of kentrogonidan rhizocephalans, and thefemale vermigon larva of the latter is not considered a distinct instar. The tantulus larva might also serve as amodel for a permanently sessile but non-filter-feeding ur-rhizocephalan. Cryptogonochorism in the Rhizocephalaand parthenogenetic reproduction of tantulus larvae are judged to be autapomorphies of the respective groups. Theapparent absence of cirripede-type nauplius and cyprid larvae in tantulocaridans requires the assumption that suchlarvae once preceded the tantulus larva and have been lost, or that they exist but have not been discovered.Although a tentative, complicated life history for the tantulocaridans has been proposed, no single species is yetknown to exhibit all the stages (a review of this matter is presented), and the nature of the offspring produced byso-called sexual males and females is unknown. The nauplius y and cypris y larvae of the Facetotecta areavailable candidates for filling this role, with the cypris y as the true homologue of the rhizocephalan cyprid larva.

DISTRIBUTION OF CLAM SHRIMPS (BRANCHIOPODA: SPINICAUDATA & LAEVI-CAUDATA)IN JAPAN, AND A HITHERTO UNREPORTED AUTUMN GENERATION

Grygier, Mark. Lake Biwa Museum, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-0001, Japan; grygier@lbm.go.jp

All documented records of clam shrimps of ricefields in Japan are mapped, based on sparse and scatteredliterature, specimens in museums, and recent surveys conducted mostly by the author. Caenestheriella gifuensis(Cyzicidae)and Lynceus biformis (Lynceidae) occur from the Tokoku District to the Kinki District of Honshu;Leptestheria kawachiensis (Leptestheriidae) around the eastern Inland Sea, eastward to Gifu Prefecture, and innorthernmost Kyushu; and Eulimnadia spp. (Limnadiidae) from Kanto to Kyushu (evidence for the presence of asmany as 3 species of Eulimnadia in Japan, not merely E. braueriana, is presented). Many new prefecture-levelrecords are given. At present, Shiga Prefecture has the most diverse population, including all four families andgenera. Despite searches, clam shrimps have not been found in Fukui, Niigata, and Iwate Prefectures, while thewesternmost and many inland parts of Honshu, southern Shikoku, and much of Kyushu remain unsurveyed. Inricefields of Kusatsu city, Shiga Prefecture, five species of large branchiopod occur from late spring to earlysummer during the period of continuous irrigation: the anostracan Branchinella kugenumaensis, the notostracanTriops longicaudatus, and the clam shrimps C. gifuensis, Le. kawachiensis, and Ly. biformis. After the harvest,rains in September and October keep ruts in some fields filled wth water. An autumn generation of all speciesexcept the notostracan has been observed to occur, and to reproduce, sporadically in such ruts, and in the samericefield from year to year. Although the autumn contribution to the egg bank in the soil is clearly minute incomparison to that of spring and summer, this study demonstrates the capacity of Japanese large branchiopods toappear and reproduce over a much greater part of the year than is dictated by artificial irrigation schedules.

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MORPHOLOGY AND ONTOGENY OF TRUNK LIMBS OF SPINICAUDATAN CLAM SHRIMPS

Grygier, Mark* and Frank Ferrari. MJG: Lake Biwa Museum, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-0001, Japan;grygier@lbm.go.jp

The 24 trunk limbs of Caenestheriella gifuensis may be grouped according to morphological differences amongthem; e.g., trunk limbs 1-4 of females, and 1-15 of males, bear a palp on enditic lobe 5, and a palp is associatedwith the base of the endopod of trunk limbs 1-2 of males. The proximal part of trunk limbs 19-24, bearing enditiclobe 1, articulates by an arthrodial membrane with the more distal part of the limb, which bears the exite. A“setose attenuate lobe” on enditic lobe 1 and a “discoid lobe” proximal to enditic lobe 1 are newly described.Trunk limb development in early juvenile instars of Leptestheria kawachiensis includes first an asetose limb, thena series of increasingly complex setose limbs in which the attenuate lobe, discoid lobe, exite, and (in anteriortrunk limbs) palps are added. The lobes on the asetose limb vary from 7 on anterior limbs (5 enditic lobes,endopod, and exopod) to 5 on trunk limb 24 (no enditic lobe 4 nor endopod, these being differentiated later fromenditic lobe 5). Development of anterior limbs is accelerated relative to that of posterior limbs, and developmentof more posterior limbs is truncated relative to that of limbs immediately anterior to them. Comparison with thecopepod maxilliped (the only crustacean limb for which comparable developmental data exist) suggests that thespinicaudatan trunk limb is composed of a praecoxa with 3 lobes, a coxa and a basis each with 1 lobe, and anendopod of 3 segments in females and 4 in males. A "multibranched" interpretation of spinicaudatan (and byextension branchiopodan) limb morphology is rejected, as is a strictly “serially homonomous” characterization ofthese limbs. The structure of the adult trunk limbs does not suggest similarity to the adult limbs of either theancestral branchiopod or crustacean, but early steps of posterior limbs match the crustacean ancestral biramal limbpredicted by an hypothesis of axis duplication.

COLLECTION INFORMATION NOW ON-LINE AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Gulledge,* Rose, Elizabeth Nelson, Lana Ong and Karen ReedSmithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Invertebrate Zoology Section, P.O. Box 37012,MRC 163, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012; Reed.Karen@nmnh.si.edu

The Invertebrate Zoology Section (excluding spiders and insects) debuts the new on-line catalog system, EMu(Electronic Museum), for the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. This cataloging database program iscomprised of collection information, and can be reached via www.nmnh.si.edu/iz. Other museum collections willbe on-line in the near future. Information is presented on how to access and navigate the IZ EMu catalog website. Disclaimers are noted and comments concerning uncataloged holdings are provided. Users of this catalogsystem will be able to perform a variety of searches on the available data to facilitate their research. Some of theinformation that can be searched: USNM number, scientific name, ocean, country, province/state, district/county,expedition name, river basin, lat/long, and specimen type status. Future additions to the database will includeattached images (e.g. specimen photographs, maps, line drawings, SEM/TEM micrographs, etc.). Additionalresources available to Natural History Museum personnel will eventually include full literature citations, moredetailed collection data, and synonymy information. A handout summarizing the above topics will be provided.

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GENETIC AFFINITIES OF SACCULINA CARCINI (CIRRIPEDIA, RHIZOCEPHALA) PARASITISINGTHREE SPECIES OF PORTUNID HOST

Gurney, * Robert Henry and Peter Grewe.C.S.I.R.O. Marine Research, Hobart, Australia, Robert.Gurney@csiro.au

The European green crab,Carcinus maenas, has become an established pest in Australian temperate waters whereit has few parasites as natural enemies. In its native European range, green crabs are parasitised by a barnacle,Sacculina carcini (Rhizocephala), which castrates both sexes of the host. S. carcini, therefore, offers somepotential as a biological control agent for the introduced green crab. The host specificity of this agent must bedetermined before it can be introduced into a new environment. In order to determine the affinities ofrhizocephalans reported from different portunid hosts we used genetic techniques to compare mitochondrial lociand ribosomal loci of S. carcini parasitising C. maenas from England, C. maenas from Sweden, Liocarcinusmarmoreus from Ireland and L. holsatus from Wales.

APSEUDOMORPH TANAIDACEA AND OTHER PERACARIDS FROM DEEP-SEA BENTHICSAMPLES IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO

Hansknecht,* Tom. Barry A. Vittor and Associates, Inc., Mobile, Alabama 36695; bvataxa@bvaenviro.com

Initial taxonomic studies of deep-sea benthic samples collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico revealed manyundescribed macro-crustaceans, including peracarids and some decapods. Taxonomic analysis was performed tothe nearest practical identification level, and the relative abundance of taxa was determined. In particular, themembers of the tanaidacean suborder Apseudomorpha are described and illustrated. New methods are suggestedfor the taxonomic study of apseudomorphs and comparisons are made of some deep-sea species to shallow watertaxa. Future research should be directed to describe these peracarids and decapods, some of which possessunusual taxonomic features.

BIOCHEMICAL CONCENTRATION OF OVARY AND HEPATOPANCREAS TISSUES IN THEINTERTIDAL GRAPSOIDS CRABS, ARMASES CINEREUM AND SESARMA NR. RETICULATUM

Hasek,* Barbara and Darryl Felder. Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA,70504; bhasek@louisiana.edu

Biochemical contents of ovary and hepatopancreas tissues in wild populations of Armases cinereum and Sesarmanr. reticulatum were monitored during the reproductive season. Total lipid, N (nitrogen), C (carbon), N:C ratios,and water concentration of the ovary, hepatopancreas and eggs were quantified over the course of ovarianmaturation. Ovarian N concentration decreased as ovaries matured. Ovarian C and lipid concentration differedsignificantly over the course of ovarian maturation for both species, but there was no relationship between lipidconcentration or content of the hepatopancreas and the stage of ovarian development in females. Neither speciesshowed a relationship between hepatopancreas tissue lipid concentration or content and the gonadosomatic index.There was also no simultaneously measurable net decrease in mass of the females’ hepatopancreas. Lipiddemands of ovarian maturation thus appear to be met in large part by increased dietary intake and not purely bytranslocating lipid stores from the hepatopancreas. While these temperate grapsid crabs live with putativelyfluctuating quality and quantity of food resources, no evidence could be found to demonstrate depletion of lipidconcentrations in the hepatopancreas concomitant with ovarian maturation.

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SPATIAL SCALE OF BLUE CRAB (CALLINECTES SAPIDUS) FORAGING ON BIVALVE PREY

Hines*1, Anson H., Thomas G. Wolcott2, Jeffery Terwin1, and Simon Thrush3. 1Smithsonian EnvironmentalResearch Center, Edgewater, MD 21037; 2MEAS Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC;3National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, New Zealand. hinesa@si.edu

Spatial pattern of predators foraging on prey patches is determined by 3 components of ecological scale: “Grain”(patch size), “Lag” (distance between patches) and “Extent” (distance the interaction is manifested). These scaleelements may also depend on prey density. We evaluated the components for predator-prey interactions of bluecrabs foraging on clams (Macoma balthica) in Chesapeake Bay using: a large grid of benthic cores for clamdensity; biotelemetery of crab movement and foraging activity; and field experiments testing spatial effects ofcrab predation impact on clams. Geostatistics of the benthic prey grid showed the Grain of dense clam patchesaveraged 200 m diam; similar to biotelemetry of crab movement, feeding and agonism that showed that predatorsaggregated to feed on 140 m diam clam patches. As fighting increased with aggregation, the crabs dispersed tonew clam patches at a Lag of 0.5-5 km. Clam out-planting experiments showed that Lag affected predatorforaging efficiency. Lag distance of 7 m resulted in highest foraging success as odor plumes from clamsdismantled by crab feeding facilitated aggregation of crabs to prey patches. Prey mortality decreased both atshorter lags as crab agonism increased and at longer lags as detection of prey odor plumes diminished. Extent ofthe predator-prey interaction is 50-200 km, as deduced by predator stomach contents and predator exclusionexperiments. Extent is modified by addition of competing predator species at higher salinity. Predictingpredator-prey dynamics requires consideration of interactive effects of all 3 scale components.

THE BIOLOGY AND LIFE CYCLE OF THE RHIZOCEPHALA: WHAT WE KNOW AND WHERE TOGO

Høeg,* Jens T. Department of Zoomorphology, Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,DK-2730, Denmark; jthoeg@zi.ku.dk

Within the last 20 years our knowledge of all aspects of their morphology and biology of the Rhizocephala hasincreased tremendously, but this has also highlighted the many questions still unanswered. Rhizocephalansystematics is still based mostly on crude morphological characters and we are badly in need of a stable taxonomybased on phylogenetic systematics. The life cycle is now know known to incorporate several new stages in boththe female and the male part. The classic system where the host in infested by means of a kentrogon stage is onlyvalid for the suborder Kentrogonida, whereas other systems of host infestation characterizes the orderAkentrogonida. A reproductive system with separate sexes is omnipresent, but the morphology of the male andthe means by which it gains access to the female parasite differs considerably between the rhizocephalan families.The Rhizocephala are the only cirripedes where a morphological difference can be detected between the sexesalready in the cypris larvae, and several of these differences relate to the dissimilar metamorphosis displayed bymale and female cyprids. The sex ratio varies both between broods of different parasites, between a succession ofbroods from the same parasite and with season but the mechanism responsible for this remains unknown. We alsohave but little understanding of the chemical and biological factors operating in the choice of settlement substrateby the cyprids. This question relates to the degree of host specificity of the rhizocephalan species and is importantfor the potential use of rhizocephalans as biological control agents. Finally, we are almost totally ignorant aboutthe physiological and molecular level mechanism by which the rhizocephalan parasite gains total control of themorphology, physiology and behavior of the host within a very short time after infestation.

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THE RHIZOCEPHALA AND THE TANTULOCARIDA: A COMPARISON OF LIFE CYCLES ANDTHE INFESTATION PROCESS.

Høeg,* Jens T, Henrik Glenner, Rony Huys, Reinhardt M. Kristensen, and Nadja Møbjerg. Department ofZoomorphology, Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2730, Denmark;jthoeg@zi.ku.dk

The Rhizocephala (Crustacea: Thecostraca: Cirripedia) must rank as some of the most specialized parasites inCrustacea. They sport a very complex life cycle including several highly specialized stages and a unique systemfor host control. It has long been known that the infestation of the host proceeds by means of a kentrogon instar,which penetrates into the host using a hollow cuticular stylet. This process initiates the purely endoparasiticphase, but, until recently, the nature of the parasite injected into the host remained unknown. It now appears thatthe kentrogon stage actually molts as consequence of the formation of the injection stylet, and a part of the newcuticle comes to surround the internal parasite in the form of a vermigon stage. The latter develops directly intothe internal parasite that sprouts a system of rootlets and eventually into the external parasite that emerges on thesurface of the host. The Tantulocarida also have a very complex life cycle, where several details still remainpoorly described. Infestation of the host is by means of the tantulus larva which, like the rhizocephalan kentrogon,has a cuticular, cephalic stylet. This and the fact that the Tantulocarida are normally placed close to, if not within,the Thecostraca could suggest that that the two taxa are closely related. For the first time we are able to presentTEM data of the tantulus larva. Our results reveal that the general anatomy and especially the apparatus forpenetrating into the host differs between the kentrogon and the tantulus to the extent that there seems little basisfor a homology between these stages. This should prompt for a discussion on the phylogenetic position of theTantulocarida, and whether they and the parasitic groups within the Thecostraca (Facetotecta, Ascothoracida,Rhizocephala) all developed independently into parasites.

LONGEVITY, VIABILITY, AND STORAGE OF SPERM IN THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTESSAPIDUS.

Hopkins, C. Wynne, Donna Wolcott*, and T.G. Wolcott. Dept. Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, NCState University, Raleigh, NC 27607. dwolcott@ncsu.edu

Female blue crabs fertilize their lifetime egg production with sperm stored from a single mating. While field andlaboratory studies have highlighted the potential for sperm limitation in blue crab populations, there is no data onsperm longevity. Controlled mating experiments tested the effects of season, size and mating history on theviability and longevity of sperm. The ratio of live to dead sperm and the number of sperm transferred areunaffected by male size, but number of sperm decreases with successive matings. The number of sperm andpercent of viable sperm from a mating varied seasonally, being lowest early and increasing throughout thereproductive season. In females, the predictable time course of the dissolution of the sperm plug and theresorbtion of the walls of the spermathecae make these processes useful indicators of the time since mating duringthe first two months post insemination. The percent of viable sperm in the females’ spermathecae changes littleover the first 12 weeks after mating. The number of sperm decreases, however, by almost half during this time,with dead sperm apparently lost during storage. Assessment of a field population in NC further explored seasonalvariation in sperm stores and viability. The presence of stored sperm in nearly 100% of the females sampled fromthe field shows that females are finding mates. Sperm supplies were greatest in mid-season, as was viability.Because the laboratory results show that 50% of sperm disappears even before brood production, factors that limitinitial sperm supplies, including matings with males with reduced sperm stores, will make sperm limitation morelikely, and reduce the number of broods an individual female can fertilize. These factors include a reduction in theratio of males to females, causing males to mate more frequently and deliver less sperm, and a reducedopportunity to mate with more than one male.

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BEHAVIOR OF DEEP-SEA GALATHEID LOBSTERS OBSERVED USING A DEEP SEAFLOOROBSERVATORY IN NANKAI TROUGH, JAPAN

Iwasaki, Nozomu. Usa Marine Biological Institute, Kochi University, Tosa, 781-1164, Japan;iwasakin@cc.kochi-u.ac.jp

The Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) installed a seafloor monitoring system formonitoring submarine earthquakes, in Nankai Trough, western Japan in March 1997. This system consists of twoocean bottom seismometers, two tsunami sensors and a seafloor observatory, all connected by optical cable. Theseafloor observatory is located about 110 kilometers off Muroto Cape in Nankai Trough (32-21.094N, 134-32.207E) at a depth of 3,572 meters. It is equipped with a color video camera and six 100-watt underwater lights.Its operation is controlled in real time from the JAMSTEC Land Station at Muroto in Kochi Prefecture. Ninety-seven separate video recordings of deep-sea life were taken from May 1997 to December 1999, from two to fourtimes a month. Total observation time was 556.6 hours. We are successful in making the first observations everof molting, feeding, locomotion, body cleaning and defending a territory of deep-sea galatheid lobsters.Threatening behaviors and fights of them were also observed. For example, two Munipopsis sp. were having anintense face-off, waving their chelae at each other. They had begun grappling. Even if they got rolled over, theyimmediately caught at each other again. It seems that they are able to square up to each other by sensing thevibrations from the waving of their chelae. In the deep-sea, where vision is impossible, a pallesthesia is animportant means of communication.

A TWO-STAGE GENERALIZED ADDITIVE MODEL (GAM) FOR CHESAPEAKE BAY BLUE CRABWINTER HABITAT

Jensen,* Olaf1, Ralf Seppelt2 and Thomas Miller1; 1University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science,Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, P.O. Box 38 / 1 Williams St., Solomons, MD 20688; jensen@cbl.umces.edu;2Technical University Braunschweig, Institute of Geoecology, Langer Kamp 19c, D-38106 Braunschweig,Germany

The patchy distribution of many aquatic organisms frequently results in data that are spatially autocorrelated andhave a large number of zero catches (zero-inflated). Geostatistical techniques can be applied to spatiallyautocorrelated data, and more recently two-stage approaches have been introduced to model zero-inflated data.However, we lack an integrated approach that addresses both problems. We present a two-stage generalizedadditive model (GAM) of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in Chesapeake Bay based on data from a WinterDredge Survey (WDS), which exhibits both of the problems mentioned above. In the first stage, the probabilityof blue crab presence is modeled as a flexible function of depth, salinity, water temperature, distance from baymouth, distance from submerged aquatic vegetation, and bottom slope. In the second stage, the abundance of bluecrabs given presence is modeled as a separate function of the same variables. The predicted abundance at a givenlocation is then the product of the probability of blue crab presence and the estimated abundance given presence.Cross-validation using a test data subset is used to assess inter- and intra-annual model performance. Acomparison of results from previous geostatistical modeling of the same data set indicates that model choice (two-stage GAM or geostatistical model) depends on the severity of spatial autocorrelation and zero-inflation and onthe study objectives.

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DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND DENSITY DEPENDENT HABITAT USE OF CHESAPEAKEBAY BLUE CRAB

Jensen, Olaf and Thomas Miller*. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, ChesapeakeBiological Laboratory, P.O. Box 38 / 1 Williams St., Solomons, MD 20688; jensen@cbl.umces.edu

Geostatistical modeling techniques (variograms and kriging) were used to investigate the spatial ecology of bluecrab (Callinectes sapidus) in Chesapeake Bay based on 14 years of data from a Winter Dredge Survey (WDS).The WDS provided blue crab abundance estimates at up to 1500 stations per year. Variogram models showed thatblue crab density exhibits spatial autocorrelation up to a range of 16-40 km. Interpolated maps of crab densityshowed persistent regions of high winter density as well as inter-annual fluctuations in habitat use. Ageostatistical model-based abundance estimate was calculated for the entire bay for all crabs and for maturefemales. These abundance estimates were highly correlated with traditional design-based estimates that ignorespatial autocorrelation, indicating that geostatistical models provide an alternative approach to abundanceestimation. A center of mass, representing a weighted spatial average of blue crab abundance, was calculatedfrom the distribution maps. The latitude of the center of mass shows inter-annual changes that are statisticallyrelated to changes in total crab abundance. We suggest this pattern reflects density-dependent habitat use, asgiven in McCall’s basin model (1990) and permits identification of regions of preferred habitat.

PATERNITY OF DUNGENESS CRABS (CANCER MAGISTER) DETERMINED USING NOVELMICROSATELLITE MARKERS.

Jensen,* Pamela C.1 and Paul Bentzen2. 1Marine Molecular Biotechnology Lab, University of Washington,Seattle, WA 98105 and National Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115;Pam.Jensen@noaa.gov; 2Fisheries Resource Conservation Genetics, Dept. of Biology, Dalhousie University,Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1, Canada

The Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) is abundant along the west coast of North America, is ecologicallyimportant as both predator and prey, and has supported a commercial fishery for ~150 years, yet basic features ofthe reproductive and population biology of this species remain poorly understood. Female Dungeness crabs matein the spring and store sperm until egg extrusion in the fall. In addition to the sperm storage sacs possessed by allfemale cancrids, the spermathecae, Dungeness crabs have a second pair of sacs that also contain sperm, thebursae. It has been speculated that the bursal sperm do not participate in fertilization of a female's eggs. In orderto investigate the use of sperm by females, microsatellite markers were developed for C. magister, and controlledmating experiments were conducted. Ninety-nine microsatellite loci were cloned and sequenced, and six lociwere chosen for further development. The six loci were shown to be highly polymorphic and display Mendelianinheritance; hence, they should be useful in both paternity and population studies. Female crabs were held in thelaboratory for several years and mated annually to different males, and in most cases, to more than one male permolting/mating cycle. Each year, the resultant egg clutches were preserved for paternity determination; tissuesamples from each female and her mates also were preserved and genotyped, providing known genotypes for thefemales and putative sires. Additionally, tissue samples and egg clutches from 'wild' females were preserved forpaternity analysis. The results demonstrate cross-molt use of sperm and multiple paternity in egg clutches. Thesix microsatellite loci have been shown to amplify in nine congeneric crab species, suggesting that these loci willhave broad utility for mating system and population studies within the Cancridae.

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THE FIRST MEASURE OF THE SPERM:EGG RATIO IN THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTESSAPIDUS, AND ITS IMPACT ON FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL.

Jivoff, Paul. Department of Biology, Rider University, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, 08648. pjivoff@rider.edu

Recently there has been increased concern in blue crabs and other species of commercially important decapods,that intense fishing pressure may negatively impact reproduction in profound but complex ways. Specifically, therapid removal of large males that have greater access to receptive females and larger sperm and seminal fluidstores than smaller males, has focused attention on the possibility of fisheries-induced sperm limitation of femalereproduction. Experimental work indicates the size and especially the recent mating history of a female’s sexualpartner influence the amount of sperm and seminal fluid females receive at mating. Field work has documentedconsiderable temporal (among months) and spatial (within and between estuaries) variation in the quantity andquality of female sperm and seminal fluid stores available for fertilization. However, without information on thenumber of sperm required to fertilize a brood of eggs (i.e., sperm:egg ratio), it is difficult to relate the variation infemale sperm stores with the size and/or number of broods a female may produce. Here, I report the results of apreliminary experiment that provides the first measure of the sperm:egg ratio in blue crabs. I relate that measureto observed variation in female sperm stores, our understanding of female reproductive potential, and its impacton the potential for fisheries-induced sperm limitation.

DISPERSAL MECHANISMS FOR BLUE CRAB LARVAE

Johnson, Donald R.* and Harriet M. PerryCenter for Fisheries Research and Development, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, University of SouthernMississippi, Ocean Springs, MS 39564; djohnson104@i-55.com

Blue crabs spawn on an ebbing tide at the entrances to estuaries and sounds. The buoyant larvae are immediatelytransported to sea where they undergo development over a period of 30-50 days until they are ready to return asmegalopae and settle into an estuarine population. It is generally agreed that while in the at-sea planktotrophicstage, they are under the influences of climatologically consistent wind and current patterns that facilitateretention near natal estuaries. The problem with this conceptual model is that outflowing freshwater plumes tendto turn “down-coast,” and hence carry the larvae too far from their natal estuaries for retention by light summer“up-coast” wind stress. In this study we examine mechanisms of dispersion from outflowing plume waters thatcan favor retention in natal estuaries. We will look at the physical oceanography of outflow plumes in the Mid-Atlantic Bight and in the northern Gulf of Mexico and create an hypothesis for retention-favorable dispersion thatincludes wind events, plume instabilities, and plume-shed solibores.

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DEMOGRAPHIC RATES AND MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF BLUE CRABS IN ESTUARINE SALTMARSHES

Johnson,* Eric G. and David B. Eggleston. Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, NC StateUniversity, Raleigh, NC 27695; egjohnso@unity.ncsu.edu

A series of complimentary laboratory and field studies quantified population demographics and patterns ofmovement of juvenile and adult blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, in two tidal salt marsh habitats located in theNewport River estuary in Beaufort, NC during June - October of 2001. We tagged approximately 1,100 bluecrabs (22 – 153 mm carapace width) with individually coded microwire tags, and used a Cormack-Jolly-Sebermodel to estimate population size, as well as maximum likelihood estimates of survival and capture probabilities.Microwire tags are an effective method for tagging marine crustaceans, because they provide a permanent internaltag that is rarely lost through molting, and the tag does not influence growth or mortality rates. To examinepatterns of movement within the salt marsh, and to quantify emigration rates from our study areas, crabs weretracked for 24-h using individually numbered floating tags that were affixed to the carapace of juvenile crabs (35-68 mm CW). These independent estimates allowed us to partition crab loss from salt marshes into mortality andemigration. Juvenile crabs were mobile within the interstices of the marsh canopy during flood tide, and wereequally distributed buried in intertidal marsh and mud areas during ebb tide. Juvenile crabs exhibited a highdegree of site fidelity to a given marsh system during summer-fall, particularly smaller crabs, with the probabilityof mortality significantly higher than emigration. These results provide important information on the potentialrole of different salt marsh systems as nurseries for blue crabs, and provide refinements to capture-recapturemodels that can be applied to mobile organisms.

SPATIAL SCALE OF PATCHES OF BLUE CRAB MEGALOPAE

Jones,* M.B. and C.E. Epifanio. Graduate College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE 19958;epi@udel.edu

Recent studies at the University of Delaware have shown that early and late stage larvae of the blue crabCallinectes sapidus occur in patches that are transported in the coastal ocean by a combination of buoyancy- andwind-driven processes. The present investigation considers the spatial distribution of the megalopal (postlarval)stage as this form is transported from the coastal ocean to juvenile nursery habitats within Delaware Bay on theeast coast of North America. The study consisted of 6 separate sampling periods during late summer, 2002.During each period, plankton were collected every 6 min over a complete 6-h flood-tidal phase at a single stationin the mouth of the bay. Current-velocity data were collected simultaneously via an S-4 current meter moored atthe station. Subsequent analysis demonstrated the transport of patches of megalopae past the station during eachsampling period. The characteristic length scale of the patches was determined through autocorrelation analysisand ranged from about 750 – 1500 m. The present data, combined with results of previous work in ourlaboratory, suggest that patches of crab larvae may be formed early in the period of larval development (perhapsat hatching) and may remain coherent throughout zoeal and megalopal development. This patchy distribution hasimportant consequences for transport and settlement of the megalopae in juvenile habitat.

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CHELA FUNCTIONAL MORPHOLOGY OF ENDEMIC FRESHWATER CRABS FROM LAKETANGANYIKA, EAST AFRICA

Jonkers, Anne Chris *1,2, Saskia Marijnissen2 and Ellinor Michel2. 1Rijks Universiteit Groningen, Postbus 14,9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands. 2Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Universiteit vanAmsterdam, The Netherlands *A.C.Jonkers@student.rug.nl.

Lake Tanganyika harbors a family of endemic crabs (Platythelphusidae) that occupy an array of different habitatsand exhibit striking interspecific differences in chela shape (see Marijnissen, et al. this volume). We comparedintra- and interspecific differences in chela functional morphology to provide insight into the mechanisms thatdrive divergence of chela shape within the Tanganyikan crabs.We combined a morphometric approach with measurements of force production and muscle characteristics. Acoevolutionary arms race with its heavily calcified gastropod prey was suggested as a mechanism driving thedevelopment of Platythelphusa armata’s robust claws. Intraspecific comparison of external morphology andmechanical advantage (MA) with Platythelphusa tuberculata (MA = 0.22) indicates that P. armata is underselection for increasing strength-potential. However, our experiments using a force sensor show that P. armata(MA = 0.28) generates less force than the endemic omnivore Potamonautus platynotus (p < 0.05), which has anMA of 0.27. In spite of this apparent performance restraint, P. armata is more successful in consumption of hard-bodied prey. These seemingly contradictory results may be explained by different behavioural strategies betweenthe two taxa. Sexual dimorphism is lacking in P. armata chela morphology. In contrast, chela shape of P.tuberculata and other platythelphusid species shows extreme divergence between males and females and thus islikely to be the result of sexual selection. Our results indicate that even within this modest endemic radiation thespecies are responding to different selection forces, underscoring their potential as a model group for evolutionarystudies.

HABITAT CORRELATES OF BLUE CRABS AND BIVALVES IN SUBESTUARIES OF CHESAPEAKEBAY, USA

King, R., S. Grap, D. Craige, and A. Hines*. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD21037. hinesa@si.edu

The distribution of organisms in estuaries is influenced by environmental and biological factors withinsubestuaries and their watersheds. We sampled 19 subestuaries within Chesapeake Bay to test for relationships ofabundances of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) and infaunal bivalves (Macoma balthica and M. mitchelli) withvariables of water quality, habitat type and adjacent watershed land use. We divided the subestuaries into 5 land-use categories: forested, developed, agricultural, mixed agricultural, and mixed-developed. Within eachsubestuary we measured variables of water quality, sediment texture, physical habitat, and adjacent land use ateach of 6 stations. In addition, cores were used to estimate bivalve densities, while fyke nets were employed toestimate blue crab abundance and size-structure. Classification And Regression Tree (CART) analysis indicatedthat 51% of the variance in blue crab abundance was explained by salinity, watershed land use and shorelinewetland habitat. Total crabs were most abundant at salinities >16ppt, but in lower salinities crabs were mostabundant along wetland shorelines in forested and mixed land-use watersheds. Juvenile crabs <85mm wereassociated with shoreline wetland habitats, particularly in subestuaries with forested and mixed land-usewatersheds. Macoma were similarly associated with shoreline wetlands but mainly in muddy bottoms atmoderate-to-high salinities; however the CART model only explained 25% of variance in bivalve abundance. Theresults indicate shoreline wetlands and watershed land-use have important effects on these species along theestuarine salinity gradient.

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A PHYLOGENETIC REVIEW OF THE ARCTURIDAE (ISOPODA: VALVIFERA)

King,1* Rachael A. and Gary C.B. Poore2

1. Marine Resources Research Institute, SCDNR, Charleston, SC, 29422.kingr@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us2. Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666E, Melbourne, 3001, Australia. gpoore@museum.vic.gov.au

A cladistic investigation of the Arcturidae (Crustacea: Isopoda), including a phylogeny, based on morphologicalcharacters is presented. The Arcturidae is supported in this study as a monophyletic group defined by sixsynapomorphies. Within the Arcturidae, seven clades are recognized; some generic synonymies are proposedbased on the results of the phylogeny; some paraphyletic genera remain. New diagnostic characters are introducedand discussed.

FIGHTING LOBSTERS AND FIGHTING FRUIT FLIES: MODEL SYSTEMS FOR THE STUDY OFAGGRESSION

Kravitz, Edward A. Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA02140. edward_kravitz@hms.harvard.edu

For over 20 years our laboratory has been studying a lobster model of aggression focusing on the roles of amineslike serotonin (5HT) and octopamine (OCT) in the behavior. Lobsters are excellent animals for such studiesbecause the behavior is easily evoked, quantifiable, and a long lasting dominance relationship is established as aresult of social experience. Studies with nervous systems dissected from these animals have allowed us toidentify 5HT and OCT neurons important in the behavior and to explore the roles of these neurons in posturalregulation. Other colleagues have reported changes in the function of these cells with changes in social status.Molecular studies also are possible with identified lobster neurons. Despite the advantages of this model,however, genetic studies are not possible with lobsters, the genome has not been sequenced, and methods ofmanipulating levels and patterns of gene expression in identified neurons do not exist. In contrast all of the latterconditions can be met in studies using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. This presentation will focus on ourrecent studies with this model system in which we demonstrate: that conditions have been established underwhich reliable fighting behavior is observed between socially naïve 3-day old adult male fruit flies; that likelobster fighting behavior, fruit fly agonistic behavior can be quantified; that unlike studies with lobsters, however,using methods like the GAL4/UAS system, it is possible to turn amine neurons on and off in the fly brain, whileanimals are fighting to ask what such manipulations do to the behavior. Beginning studies exploring changes ingene expression with changes in social status also will be described (supported by NIGMS and NSF).

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HOST SPECIFICITY FOR SACCULINA CARCINI AGAINST NAÏVE CRAB SPECIES

Lafferty,1* Kevin D., Jeffrey H. R. Goddard,2 Mark E. Torchin,3 Nicole Murphey,4 Robert GurneyError!Bookmark not defined.,4 and Armand M. Kuris3

1USGS, University of California Santa Barbara, 2MSI, University of California Santa Barbara, 3MSI and EEMB,University of California Santa Barbara , 4CRIMP, CSIRO Marine Division, Hobart Australia.

We experimentally exposed four species of native California crabs to infective cyprid larvae of Sacculina carcini,a rhizocephalan barnacle parasitic castrator of the introduced European green crab, Carcinus maenas. Ourexperimental protocol was designed to maximize the opportunity for S. carcini to infect the native test crabspecies (Hemigrapsus oregonensis, H. nudus, Pachygrapsus crassipes and Cancer magister). We used smallvolumes, high densities of competent infective cyprid larvae, and crab stages known to be most susceptible(small, post-molt individuals. We also included specimens of the natural host, C. maenas, in exposure containersto ensure chemical cues were present. Briefly, we showed that for all four California species, this Europeanparasite of an unrelated crab (different families) could locate, settle on, penetrate and initiate development of theinterna stages in these naive (not coevolved) crab hosts. However, in marked contrast to control infections intheir natural host, C. maenas, all infected California crabs died without emergence of the reproductive externa ofthe parasite. Morbid infected California crabs often exhibited neurological sequelae (lethargy, twitching,paralysis) in the week before death. Post-mortem examinations revealed that the nerves leading from the thoracicganglion were heavily involved with S. carcini absorptive rootlets. In some cases the nerves were obliterated.Since the California crabs had no previous experience with S. carcini, indeed came from habitats lackingrhinencephalon parasites, it was not entirely surprising that the host-parasite interaction was unusual-the infectiveparasitic stages could settle on and infect the crabs but could not mature in them. Further, many of theseinappropriate hosts recognized S. carcini as foreign. They produced cellular responses to the rootlets of theparasite leading to partial arrest of the parasites and melanization of portions of the internas. Still, this was aninadequate defense and infected crabs died.

ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BLUE CRAB SPAWNING SANCTUARY INCHESAPEAKE BAY USING TAG-RECAPTURE METHODS

Lambert,* Debra, Michael Seebo, Marcel Montane, Romuald Lipcius and John Hoenig. Department of FisheriesScience, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of Williams and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062;dlambert@vims.edu

The blue crab spawning stock in Chesapeake Bay has sustained an 84 % decline in biomass since 1992. As partof a comprehensive effort to enhance the spawning stock, the historical spawning sanctuary in the lowerChesapeake Bay was enlarged nearly fourfold to over 240,000 ha. The sanctuary nominally protects maturefemales from exploitation in 75 % of the spawning grounds during the spawning season (1 June-15 September).To assess the effectiveness of the sanctuary in protecting the spawning stock, mature females were tagged andreleased inside and outside of the sanctuary. Specimens tagged were obtained from the VIMS Winter DredgeSurvey, VIMS Trawl Survey, Maryland DNR Trawl Survey, and ChesMMAP. Crabs were measured, taggedwith a strap (cinch) tag tied to the lateral spines, and released on-site. During June and July 2002, 90 crabs weretagged within the sanctuary. During the sanctuary season, 1 of these crabs was caught outside of the sanctuary(with an egg mass) by a commercial crabber and 2 were caught inside the sanctuary by recreational crabbers.Hence, the recapture rate was 3.3 % from sanctuary crabs. During the same time period, 196 crabs were taggedand released outside of the sanctuary, of which 42 were recaptured, resulting in a recapture rate of 21.4 %. Theseresults indicate that the sanctuary effectively reduced fishing mortality, and therefore, that the use of marineprotected areas in enhancing the blue crab spawning stock is a viable conservation tool as part of a comprehensivemanagement plan.

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THE TANAIDACEAN FAUNA (PERACARIDA) FROM A DEEP-SEA COLD SEEP IN THE GULF OFMEXICO; MORPHOLOGICAL NOVELITIES, ORIGIN AND DIETARY SPECIALIZATIONS

Larsen, Kim. Department of Oceanography, Texas A & M University 3146, College Station, Texas 77843-3146;klarsen@ocean.tamu.edu

The Tanaidacea are not recorded as a significant component of vent/seep fauna. However, out of two push coresamples collected by the submersible Johnson Sea Link from a deep-sea cold seep site in the Gulf of Mexico (GB425, Stn. BL7, 27°33.60'N, 92°32.33'W, depth 570 m.), tanaidaceans constituted more than 50% of themacrofauna. Not only was the Tanaidacea the dominating taxa, but the species, although inconspicuous at firstglance, turned out to be quite novel in several aspects. Several new genera were found and with a host ofunexpected morphological modifications. The genera, Coalecerotanais n.gen, Bathyleptochelia n.gen, Crurispinan.gen, Araphura and Paranarthrura were identified. The tanaidacean fauna was composed of severalevolutionary lines of both shallow-water and deep-water origin. The fauna contained both cosmopolitan taxa aswell as completely novel taxa, which has morphological characters so unique that it is not unreasonable to assumeit has evolved isolated from other tanaidaceans for quite some time, possibly in a environment similar to the coldseep where it was found. Mouthpart dissimilarity suggests that several different feeding strategies are employed.

CLEARANCE RATES, HUNGER and FOOD HOARDING IN GREEN CRABS.

Lee, Karen T.* and Jeffrey S. Walter. Dept. of Biology, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Johnstown, PA15904. ktlee@pitt.edu

While gut contents analysis is the most common method of investigating diet in crabs and lobsters, the use of gutcontents leaves unanswered several fundamental questions about control of crustacean feeding, specificallyquestions about feeding frequency and hunger. In an effort to understand what constitutes “hunger” in greencrabs, we fed crabs and performed gut contents analyses at specific time periods post-feeding. As expected,stomachs emptied progressively during a 24 hour period. Guts were approximately half-full 9 hours after feedingand virtually empty 24 hours post feeding. To test our hypothesis that gut fullness would somehow be correlatedwith willingness to eat (hunger) we began a series of experiments. We starved green crabs and later fed themonce every 18-24 hours. This period was followed by several days of twice a day feedings with 6 hours inbetween feedings. As expected the crabs fed willingly when at least 12 hours had passed between feedings sincetheir stomachs were more than half-empty, but we were surprised to find that crabs ate willingly only 6 hoursafter the first feeding, though their stomachs should have been more than half-full. In addition, starved crabsexhibited an unwillingness to discard uneaten prey, a behavior we have dubbed “hoarding” and which disappearedwhen they were fed twice a day. Our preliminary data suggest that “hunger”, for green crabs, is more thansimply an expression of stomach fullness.

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ON HERMIT CRAB MYTHOLOGY AND HOW KINGS BECAME HERMITS

Lemaitre,* R.1, and P.A. McLaughlin2 ; 1Department of Systematic Biology, National Museum of NaturalHistory, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012; lemaitre.rafael@nmnh.si.edu;2Shannon Point Marine Center, Western Washington University, 1900 Shannon Point Road, Anacortes, WA98221-9081B

The concept of “carcinization” continues to be a debated topic, particularly as applied to hermit crab (Paguroidea)evolution. Traditional, and even some modern studies maintain that the Lithodidae, or king crabs, evolvedsecondarily from a typical shell-dwelling hermit crab (“hermit to king” hypothesis). Our previous studies basedon adult morphology and preliminary megalopal/juvenile data rejected that view, and concluded the reverse: theLithodidae crab-like body form gave rise to the simple hermit crab body form through calcium loss, habitatchange and consequential morphological adaptations (“king to hermit” hypothesis). New and more complete datafrom megalopal and early juvenile development in ten genera of the Lithodidae, now has provided unequivocalevidence that earlier hypotheses regarding evolution of the king crab abdomen were erroneous. A pattern ofsundering, and decalcification has been traced from the megalopal stage through several early crabs stages inspecies of Lithodes and Paralomis, with supplemental evidence from species in eight other genera. Of majorsignificance is the development observed of the marginal plates of the second somite. This and other datasupports the evolutionary direction indicated by lithodid abdominal plate development. Therefore, whilecarcinization, or development of a crab-like body form has occurred in the Lithodidae, it has not proceeded from ahermit crab ancestor. Rather, the data indicate the reverse, effectively refuting the “hermit to king” myth.

PANDALOID SHRIMPS FROM THE NORTHERN SOUTH CHINA SEA, WITH DESCRIPTION OF ANEW SPECIES OF PLESIONIKA (CRUSTACEA: DECAPODA: CARIDEA)

Li,* Xinzheng1 and Tomoyuki Komai2

1Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; lixzh@ms.qdio.ac.cn2 Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, 955-2 Aoba-cho, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8682, Japan

The present paper deals with the pandaloid shrimp material collected from the northern part of the South ChinaSea during the Chinese government’s “National Comprehensive Oceanography Survey” program in 1958-1960.The collection includes two species of Thalassocarididae and 18 species of Pandalidae. A new species,Plesionika longidactylus, is described and compared with P. exigua, P. mexicana, P. pumila and P. izumiae. Fourspecies are recorded from Chinese waters for the first time: Plesionika kensleyi Chace, 1985, P. philippinensisChace, 1985, P. pumila Chace, 1985 and P. spinensis Chace, 1985.

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ECOSYSTEM EFFECTS, CARRYING CAPACITY, AND RECRUITMENT LIMITATION IN BLUECRAB NURSERY HABITATS

Lipcius, R.1, R. Seitz1, W. Long1*, M. Seebo1, D. Lambert1 and W. Stockhausen1,2

1Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA;wilong@vims.edu; 2NOAA, NMFS, Woods Hole, MA

Over the past 20 years, the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, has experienced an 84% decline in spawning stockbiomass in Chesapeake Bay. A potential method to restore blue crab populations in the Bay is enhancement ofthe natural population with crabs raised in nurseries. We analyzed various data sets on spatial and temporalpatterns of blue crab recruitment in three tributaries of Chesapeake Bay, and conducted a field experiment todetermine factors influencing carrying capacity of nursery habitats. In this study, we examined the small-scaleecosystem effects of enhancement. Juvenile blue crabs (mean CW = 44.2 mm) were collected at Tangier Islandand released in a small cove in the York River among the Catlett Islands. Blue crabs showed a significantincrease in the enhanced cove, which persisted at least eight weeks after release, whereas no increase wasobserved in control coves. With tethering experiments, juvenile blue crabs showed no significant difference insurvival between the enhanced and control coves. Densities of Macoma balthica, a clam that makes up ~50% ofthe blue crab diet, were equivalent among coves, and there were no significant decreases pre- and post-enhancement in any of the coves. We conclude that the blue crab population in the experimental cove wasincreased by enhancement but that this enhancement caused no significant changes in the ecosystem. Thissuggests that the ecosystem is below its carrying capacity and that the blue crab is therefore recruitment and notresource limited.

SURVIVAL AND RECRUITMENT OF JUVENILE BLUE CRABS IN VEGETATED ANDUNVEGETATED NURSERY HABITATS OF CHESAPEAKE BAY

Lipcius,* Romuald, Duamed Colon, Michael Seebo, and Rochelle Seitz. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, TheCollege of Williams and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062 USA; rom@vims.edu

Vegetated habitats such as seagrass beds have been postulated to be the key nursery grounds for the blue crab inChesapeake Bay and other ecosystems with structured shallow-water habitats. In various portions of ChesapeakeBay, juvenile blue crabs are abundant in habitats where there is little vegetation, but presumably abundant food.Using tethering techniques, we experimentally examined the relative survival of juveniles in these unvegetatedhabitats (i.e., subtidal mud and sand flats) and in seagrass beds; the unvegetated habitats were either adjacent tothe seagrass beds or distant from them. In addition, we implemented a 3-D hydrodynamic model to determine therole of advection in driving the recruitment of juveniles to these alternative nursery habitats. Survival of juvenileswas significantly higher in unvegetated nursery habitats distant from seagrass beds, than survival in seagrass bedsand in unvegetated habitats adjacent to seagrass beds. Simulation modeling with the 3-D hydrodynamic modelindicated that advection is a potential key mechanism driving juvenile recruitment to alternative nursery habitats.When combined with the information on food abundance and growth in unvegetated and vegetated habitats, thisexperimental information suggests that certain unvegetated habitats serve as critical nursery habitats for the bluecrab and are thus deserving of conservation.

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IMPACTS OF FISH PREDATORS ON DEMOGRAPHY OF THE INTERTIDAL AMPHIPODCOROPHIUM VOLUTATOR (PALLAS)

Logan,* Sean P., and Dean G. McCurdy. Biology Department, Albion College, Albion, MI 49224;SL10@albion.edu

Corophium volutator is an amphipod that serves as a main prey item for numerous species of fish and migratoryshorebirds in northern, soft-bottom intertidal zones. We explored interactions between Corophium and fishpredators by assessing foraging preferences of fish and consequences of predation to sex ratios of Corophium,which are strongly female-biased. Using collections of Corophium and quantitative evidence of foraging activity,we found that foraging by fish was most intense in patches of mud containing the highest densities of adultCorophium and in areas where fish had the greatest amount of time to forage. Both benthic- and pelagic-feedingfish were observed fed disproportionately on male amphipods relative to sex ratios in the substrate. Sex-biaseddepredation of male amphipods might result in population declines of amphipods, particularly in conjunction withother sources of male-biased mortality.

RESOURCE PARTITIONING AMONG ENDEMIC FRESHWATER CRABS FROM LAKETANGANYIKA, EAST AFRICA

Marijnissen,* Saskia A.E., and Ellinor Michel. Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Universiteitvan Amsterdam, 1090 GT Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Marijnissen@science.uva.nl

Lake Tanganyika, the oldest (9-12 MY) lake in the African Rift system, contains a species flock of sevenfreshwater crabs (Platythelphusidae) that appear to have evolved from a single common ancestor. Most of thesespecies overlap in habitat use. Resource partitioning has persistently been invoked as an explanatory mechanismfor the maintenance of closely related species within restricted geographic areas. We used a combination of dataon functional morphology, habitat surveys and stable isotope analysis to test whether trophic segregation mayfacilitate the coexistence of the platythelphusid species (also see Jonkers et al. this volume). Chelae morphologydiffers strongly between species, indicating differences in feeding abilities. Preliminary stable isotope analysessuggest trophic divergence within the Platythelphusidae, but there are also indications of overlapping foragingstrategies. Isotopic signatures of Platythelphusa conculcata, P. tuberculata and P. sp. “immaculata” are clearlydistinct from each other, whereas P. maculata, P. echinata and P. tuberculata overlap. Platythelphusa armata,the largest species in the lake and a putative molluscivore, appears to have a generalized diet that overlaps with allother platythelphusid species. Our results suggest that although trophic partitioning may facilitate the sympatricoccurrence of several different endemic crab species in Lake Tanganyika, coexistence can also occur in theabsence of trophic differentiation.

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ISOPODA BOPYRIDAE FROM DEEPWATERS: WHAT IS THERE, WHAT IS NOT, AND WHY?

Markham, John C. Arch Cape Marine Laboratory, Arch Cape, OR 97102-0105; jmarkham@seasurf.com

The epicaridean family Bopyridae contains about 500 currently described species, all of them as adults parasiticon decapod crustaceans. About half of the species are known from the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean region,the great majority in shallow waters. Although many species of decapods occur in deep waters, only very fewspecies of bopyrid isopods are known from even moderately deep water. A count derived from the worldliterature reveals records of 32 species of bopyrids from depths of 100-500 m, and 20 species from deeper than500 m; because of overlap, the total number of species known from more than 100 m deep is 46. Probably a fewmore species actually have been collected this deep, but published records do not all indicate depths of capture.Most species from deep water belong to the subfamily Pseudioninae, especially those infesting species of thegalatheid anomuran genera Munida and Munidopsis. Though branchial parasites of carideans typically belong tothe subfamily Bopyrinae, those of such deep-water carideans as glyphocrangonids are in the Pseudioninae.Bopyrinae are almost unknown from deep water, where more caridean parasites are in the Argeiinae. The onlyspecies of the Entoniscinae, Entoniscus omnitectus, an internal parasite of at least 5 species of Munida, occursfrom 185 to 900 m around the world. The greatest recorded depth of any bopyrid (an unidentified parasite of aMunidopsis) is 5210 m. Conjectures are proposed for the paucity of deep-water bopyrids and their complete lackfrom really deep water.

PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF AEGLA BASED ON MOLECULAR DATA REVISITED USINGDIRECT OPTIMIZATION OF DNA SEQUENCES

Marques, Fernando P. L1, and Christopher Tudge2*; 1Department de Zoologia/IB, Universidade de Sao Paulo,Caixa Postal 11461, Sao Paulo-SP 05422-970, BRAZIL; fernando@ib.usp.br; 2Biology Department, AmericanUniversity, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20016-8007

We provide a phylogenetic hypothesis for 28 anomurans representing 8 families traditionally recognized for thisgroup using 2 brachyurans as outgroups. Sequence data for 18S rDNA (≈1800 bp), 28S rDNA (≈300 bp), and 16SmtrDNA (≈450 bp) were submitted for cladistic analysis by direct optimization of unaligned fragments usingPOY. All analyses were conducted under 12 different parameter sets for character transformations (INDELs,transversions, and transitions). The total evidence analysis (i.e., all data partitions analysed simultaneously andeach data partition separately) was analysed cladistically by 50 random additions (POY command: -random 50)holding one tree per replicate (-maxtrees 1), which was submitted to branch swapping by TBR (-tbr). Outgrouptaxa were not randomized (-norandomizeoutgroup) and “-slop” and “-checkslop” values were set to 5 and 10,respectively. Each parameter set resulted in a single most parsimonious topology with different hypotheses forsister-group relationships. Congruence analysis, as infered by ILD values, suggested that equal costs for charactertransformations rendered the most corroborated phylogenetic hypothesis for the data at hand. Our resultssuggested that the Galatheoidea and Paguroidea are paraphyletic and that the genus Aegla should be excludedfrom Galatheoidea as it nested as the sister taxon of Lomis forming a clade basal to the paraphyletic Paguroideaand other members of Galatheoidea.

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AN UPDATE ON DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS FROM HYDROTHERMAL VENTS AND COLDSEEPS.

Martin,* Joel W. and Timothy M. Shank. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 ExpositionBoulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543.jmartin@nhm.org

To date, approximately 50 species of decapod crustaceans have been reported from hydrothermal vents and coldseeps. Species can be divided into endemics (known only from vent or seep sites and presumably restricted tothem) and vagrants (deep sea species occasionally found in the vicinity of such sites but not restricted to them).All endemic shrimp are now considered members of the family Mirocarididae Vereshchaka, 1997 (containingonly the genus Mirocaris) or the family Alvinocaridae Christoffersen, 1986 (all other vent shrimp genera), ratherthan the family Bresiliidae. Fifteen vent-endemic shrimp species are currently recognized; several more speciesare in various stages of being described (manuscripts in press or in preparation). Vagrant shrimp species includemembers of the families Oplophoridae and Hippolytidae. Endemic crabs are all members of the familyBythograeidae, which includes four genera: Bythograea, Cyanograea, Segonzacia, and Austinograea. Vagrantcrab species in the family Majidae and Homolidae are also known. Vent-associated members of the familyGalatheidae (squat lobsters) all belonging to the genera Munida and Munidopsis; these are likely all vagrantsrather than endemics, as are the two known lithodid species. Unresolved taxonomic problems, some of which arepresently under study by traditional morphological methods and/or studies employing comparative allozymes aswell as mtDNA and 16S rDNA, are summarized. Molecular phylogenetic studies of Alvinocaris williamsi, theeighth and most recently described member of the genus, may provide significant insights into the role that deep-sea hydrothermal vents at mid-ocean ridges, and hydrocarbon seeps on continental margins, have played in theevolution of fauna endemic to these chemosynthetic habitats.

COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY OF THE EXTERNAL FEMALE GENITALIA OF FIVERECOGNIZED SPECIES OF THE BRINE SHRIMP ARTEMIA (BRANCHIOPODA: ANOSTRACA)FROM THE OLD AND NEW WORLD

Mayer, Robert J., Gilbert Van Stappen * and Richard B. Forward Jr.Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Science, Duke University Marine Laboratory, 135 Duke MarineLab Rd. Beaufort, NC 28516. * Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.

The external morphology of the brood pouch of females from Artemia franciscana, Artemia sinica, Artemiaurmiana, Artemia parthenogenetica and Artemia persimilis was compared using scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Organisms used in this study were cultured under identical laboratory conditions. Differences weredetected in the general shape, ectodermal ridge structure, dimensions and spination of the brood pouch. Theresults suggest that female brood pouch morphology is the most useful character to discriminate between the fivespecies; these species can be easily identified under a dissecting microscope using these new characters.

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EFFECTS OF FISH CHEMICALS ON ECLOSION OF ARTEMIA FRANCISCANA(BRANCHIOPODA:ANOSTRACA) ENCYSTED EMBRYOS

Mayer,* Robert J., and Richard B. Forward Jr.; Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Science, DukeUniversity Marine Laboratory, 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd. Beaufort, NC 28516; rjmayer@duke.edu

A key feature of the life history of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana involves the production of encystedembryos whose development is halted (enters diapause) at the gastrula stage. These shelled embryos are releasedinto the aqueous environment where diapause continues until terminated by suitable conditions that producequiescent embryos which can resume development when environmental conditions permit. This study tested thehypothesis that chemical cues from planktivorous fish alter the eclosion rate of Artemia franciscana cysts. Cystsfrom three populations of Artemia franciscana that experience different degrees of fish predation in nature, wereused. Cysts were incubated for 24 hours in a dilution series of mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) surfacemucus and the number of swimming larvae was counted. The pure dissacharides Chondroitin Sulfate A andHeparin, which are likely constituents of fish mucus, were also tested. Fish mucus significantly lowered eclosionat concentrations down to 20 g wet weight of mucus L –1 in two of the populations from areas that experience fishinvasions while eclosion of cysts from the third population (from a fishless inland hypersaline lake) was notinhibited. Pure dissacharides did not inhibit eclosion at any of the concentrations tested. The results suggest thatenzymatic degradation products of sulfated and acetylated fish mucus can serve as kairomones, at least for someof these Artemia franciscana populations, resulting in delayed eclosion of encysted embryos. This response canprevent the appearance of extremely vulnerable nauplii until the danger of predation has disappeared ordiminished.

MALE LIMITATION IN A KEY INTERTIDAL AMPHIPOD, COROPHIUM VOLUTATOR (PALLAS)

McCurdy,* Dean G.1, Mark R. Forbes2, Keiko Lui2, Selma Mautner2, and J. Sherman Boates3; 1BiologyDepartment, Albion College, Albion, MI 49224; dmccurdy@albion.edu; 2Department of Biology, 209 NesbittBuilding, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada; 3Nova Scotia Departmentof Natural Resources, 136 Exhibition Street, Kentville, NS B4N 4E5, Canada

Mate limitation is usually considered from the perspective of the abundance and distribution of females becausein most species only females contribute directly to the production of offspring. However, in systems where sex-ratios are strongly female-biased or females are receptive for short intervals, researchers have argued that malesmay limit total reproductive output. Herein, we report evidence that males appear to limit population growth inthe intertidal amphipod Corophium volutator (Pallas), a key species in northern soft-bottom communities. Fromcollections of amphipods at four field sites in the Bay of Fundy, Canada we observed that sex ratios of amphipodswere always strongly female-biased. In association with this, proportions of ovigerous females, brood sizes ofindividual females, and total reproductive output within patches of amphipods were positively related to densitiesof males of reproductive size and not other factors, such as site-by-time variation in either overall amphipoddensity or biomass. Key causes of male (mate) limitation appear to relate to female-biased sex ratios andreproductive synchrony in females, which result in many more females being receptive than there are males readyto mate. Male limitation in Corophium may influence populations of migratory shorebirds, fish, and infaunalinvertebrates that forage almost entirely on amphipods.

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POPULATION GENETIC STRUCTURE AND PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF THREE SYMPATRICPENAEID SHRIMP SPECIES IN THE WATERS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES

McMillen-Jackson,* Anne L. and Theresa M. Bert. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, FloridaMarine Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; anne.jackson@fwc.state.fl.us

Comparative analyses of patterns of population genetic structure and phylogeography of sympatric species oftencan elucidate the relative structuring influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. We characterized patterns ofpopulation genetic structure and phylogeography for three penaeid shrimp species that inhabit the marine watersof the eastern United States - pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum), brown shrimp (F. aztecus), and whiteshrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus) - using sequence analysis of the mtDNA control region. These species havesimilarities (e.g., geographic range, estuarine dependence) and differences (e.g., habitat preferences and centersof abundance, migration behaviors and physiological tolerances) that might influence their patterns of populationgenetic structure and phylogeography. All three species show high levels of mitochondrial DNA diversity andapparently experienced historic but non-concurrent periods of sudden population expansion. However, bothsubtle and distinct species-specific differences are evident. Pink shrimp and brown shrimp show no phylogeneticor geographic structuring of haplotypes; these species best fit into phylogeographic category IV - a shallow genetree with sympatric lineages. In contrast, white shrimp show significant phylogenetic structure, with two distincthaplotype lineages and two less-differentiated sublineages, significant geographic structuring of haplotypes, andsome regional grouping of lineages and haplotypes. White shrimp fit best into phylogeographic Category II - adeep gene tree whose major lineages are broadly sympatric, generally resulting from the secondary admixture ofpopulations that evolved in allopatry. We propose that the distinction of the white shrimp pattern is due in part toa relative instability of population size in white shrimp compared to the other species. The patterns that weobtained for these species are similar to patterns reported for other marine and estuarine species in this region.

PARASITES IN FRESHWATER ZOOPLANKTON FROM THE GREAT LAKES, USA

Messick,* Gretchen A., T.F. Nalepa ,2 R. Overstreet, 3 H. Vanderploeg2

*NOAA, National Ocean Service, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, Oxford, MD 21654; 2NOAA, Great LakesEnvironmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; 3Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Institute of MarineSciences, University of Southern Mississippi, P.O. Box 7000, Ocean Springs, MS 39566

Amphipods of Diporeia spp. have declined considerably in population numbers in the Great Lakes. Diporeia aredetritivores, feeding upon organic material freshly settled from the water column. In turn, they are fed upon bymost fish species found in the Great Lakes and are a major food-web link between pelagic production and uppertrophic levels. This study examined the possibility that disease may be affecting amphipod populations. Ahistological survey was conducted to assay the kinds and prevalence of host response, parasites, and symbionts inDiporeia within Lakes Huron and Michigan, USA. Data were analyzed to assay whether there were temporal orspatial variations in disease prevalence. Nodule formations, a virus-like infection, a rickettsia-like organism, twoyeast-like organisms, a fungus, a haplosporidian-like organism, a microsporidian-like organism, epibiotic ciliates,gregarines, a cestode, and acanthocephalan worms were observed in tissues of amphipods. An additionalhistological study was conducted to assay protrusions in copepods from freshwater lakes in Michigan. This studyfound protrusions had diverse histological characteristics and ellobiopsid parasites were found on 6% of abnormalcopepods. Some protrusions had histological characteristics similar to ellobiopsid parasites but the histology ofmost protrusions was not consistent or obvious enough to allow identification of a plausible etiological agent.

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THE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF JUVENILE BROWN SHRIMP FARFANTEPENAEUS AZTECUS

Minello*, Thomas J., National Marine Fisheries Service Galveston Laboratory, Galveston, TX 77551,tom.minello@noaa.gov

Ecosystem-based fishery management requires an understanding of the linkages between ecosystems and fisheryproductivity. We are developing a mechanistic simulation model that describes the ecological relationshipsbetween environmental characteristics and juvenile brown shrimp behavior, growth, and mortality in estuarinenurseries. Growth of brown shrimp in these shallow salt-marsh ecosystems is affected by temperature and bytidal flooding of food-rich marsh edge vegetation. In addition, dissolved oxygen and water clarity can affectgrowth. Many of the same ecological factors that affect shrimp growth, also affect fish predation rates and shrimpmortality, but the predator species is important. Brown shrimp commonly burrow in the substrate, and risk-sensitive foraging may occur, because burrowing affects foraging, growth, and susceptibility to predators. Wealso have been developing methods to estimate population sizes of young brown shrimp in these relativelycomplex estuarine systems where sampling is difficult. The use of sampling gear that functions in structuredhabitats and collects burrowed animals and the availability of Geographic Information Systems have providednew approaches to estimating size of shrimp populations.

EVALUATION OF A T-BAR TAG FOR THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPIDUS.

Montane, * Marcel, John Hoenig and Romuald Lipcius. Department of Fisheries Science, College of William andMary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062. marcel@vims.edu

The blue crab fishery is the most valuable and important fishery in Chesapeake Bay, as well as the world's largestcrab fishery. It is currently believed to be fully or over exploited, and critical data is lacking on survival andgrowth rates of different components of the stock. A technical difficulty in using tagging to estimate survivalrates of crabs is that molting crabs must retain tags through the molt. Thus, strap or cinch tags tied to the carapacecannot be used for long-term studies of crabs unless they are used to study mortality in mature female crabs thathave undergone a terminal molt. Successful development of a T-bar tag that would be retained through the moltwould allow determination of survival and growth rates, as well as migration patterns of all blue crab age and sizeclasses. We employed a tagging gun to insert different T-bar anchor tags through the epimeral line into the bodycavity and the basal musculature of the swimming leg of intermolt crabs, and have found limited success.However, a few individual crabs retained the tag through up to three successive molts, and up to a year,suggesting this method may have potential and warrant further development.

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REASSESSING BIODIVERSITY ESTIMATES FOR DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS OFF THE EASTERNUNITED STATES: THE IMPORTANCE OF SPECIES DISCOVERIES, IMPROVED TAXONOMYAND NEW PHYLOGENETIC HYPOTHESES

Nizinski, Martha S. NOAA, NMFS, National Systematics Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012,NHB, WC-57, MRC-153, Washington, DC 20560; nizinski.martha@nmnh.si.edu

The decapod crustacean assemblage inhabiting estuarine, neritic, and continental shelf waters (≤ 190 m) off theeast coast of the United States (Maine to central Florida) is diverse. Although the fauna inhabiting this area isseemingly well known, assessments of decapod diversity and taxonomy continue to change our understanding ofthe faunal composition in this region. This assemblage now comprises 391 species of which 49% arebrachyurans, 30% shrimps, 16% anomurans, 3% thalassinideans, and 2% lobsters. Since the last comprehensivereview of the decapod assemblage from this region was completed (1982), 13 species new to science have beendiscovered and 32 species have either been reassigned to different genera (15 of which are newly described) orplaced into synonymy. Twenty-seven higher level taxonomic changes affecting taxa from this region (newsuperfamily, family, and subfamily designations; elevation of subfamilies and subgenera to families and genera,respectively) have also taken place since this time. Species accumulation curves were used to estimate the state ofknowledge of the regional decapod biodiversity. Although accumulation curves indicate that the rate of speciesdiscovery has slowed for many groups of decapods inhabiting this region, estimates of regional species diversityfor these groups is still undergoing modification. Of all groups examined, only for penaeoid shrimps, where theaccumulation curve has reached an asymptote, does it appear that we can reliably estimate the regional diversityof these crustaceans. Species discovery, revised geographic distributions, introductions of exotic species, andbetter understanding of systematics and species definitions have all contributed to the changes recorded in currentestimates of the biodiversity from this region.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON SPECIES COMPOSITION AND DISTRIBUTIONALECOLOGY OF GALATHEIDS FROM LOPHELIA BANKS OFF NORTH CAROLINA

Nizinski,* Martha S.1, Steve W. Ross2, and Kenneth J. Sulak3

1NOAA, NMFS, National Systematics Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, NHB, WC-57, MRC-153, Washington, DC 20560; nizinski.martha@nmnh.si.edu2NC National Estuarine Research Reserve, 5600 Marvin Moss Lane, Wilmington, NC 284093USGS, Biological Resources Division, 7920 NW 71st St., Gainesville, FL 32653

Extensive reefs of Lophelia pertusa occur on the middle continental slope (400-700 m) of the Blake Plateau offthe southeastern United States. Submersible observations revealed that these deep reefs support a diverse fish andinvertebrate community. Community structure of these reefs remains poorly studied. Whether species within thiscommunity are unique to reef habitats, or are species of more widespread distribution that utilize reefsopportunistically is still largely unknown. Efforts to determine species composition, general distribution, andnumerical abundance of the identified species are underway. Preliminary analysis of data from collections, stillphotos, and videotapes taken from submersibles to assess the crustacean fauna associated with these deep reefshas revealed three species of galatheids (Eumunida picta, Munida iris iris, and Munidopsis espinis) thus far. Ofthese, E. picta (Family Chirostylidae) is a dominant component of this assemblage. Aspects of the galatheidassemblage observed at the North Carolina sites will be compared with that reported within assemblages observedat other Lophelia reefs in the Atlantic and also with assemblages reported from other major habitats on theadjacent middle-slope. We will attempt to assess whether Lophelia reefs function as a primary habitat for thesegalatheids, or if these reefs function only as alternative habitat that is occupied opportunistically by these species.

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MIDWATER AND EPIBENTHIC MUNNOPSIDS (ISOPODA, ASELLOTA) STUDIED FROM AREMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE: ECOLOGY AND PHYLOGENETICS

Osborn, Karen; University of California, Berkeley, MBARI, 7700 Sandholdt Rd., Moss Landing, CA 95039;oska@mbari.org

Numerous members of the asellote isopod family Munnopsididae are found hundreds to thousands of metersabove the deep ocean bottom. Some of these munnopsids are holopelagic, others are highly mobile epibenthicspecies and yet others are wholly confined to the benthos. The morphology and ecology of the highly mobile andpelagic species are dramatically different from the typical benthic asellote. The wide range of locomotoryabilities and concentration in the deep-sea of the munnopsids offers a unique opportunity to examine barriers todispersal and speciation in the deep, open ocean.Munnopsids are commonly seen when operating the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s (MBARI’s)remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) off the West Coast of the United States. The number of recorded types growswith each expedition and work is underway to place each within a phylogeny for the family. Molecular andmorphological characters are being used to construct the phylogeny, while their ecology and behavior are beingconsidered as well. The phylogeny will serve as the framework within which the evolutionary questions can beasked. The ROV-collected in situ video and delicate specimens provide ideal material for observations ofbehavior and distribution, morphological descriptions, and laboratory manipulations. Depth distribution isexamined for all Monterey Bay munnopsids and progress in molecular and morphological phylogenetics arepresented.

BLUE CRAB (CALLINECTES SAPIDUS) GENETIC STRUCTURE AND DIVERSITY.

Place,* Allen R., Colin R. Steven and Xiaojun Feng. Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of MarylandBiotechnology Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21202; place@umbi.umd.edu.

A responsible approach to marine stock enhancement requires that potential negative impacts upon the gene poolsof wild populations be mitigated through the use of genetically sound breeding and release protocols. Studiesover the past decade of patterns of genetic variation and divergence in a variety of pelagic marine organisms havedemonstrated that high dispersal potential at any of several life-history stages does not necessarily indicate highlevels of actual gene flow and uniformity in population structure. Three published studies describing thepopulation genetics of Callinectes sapidus all indicate substantial gene flow, with values sufficiently high to inferpanmixia between all blue crab populations from New York to Texas. Despite this high level of gene flow, twostriking patterns of temporal and geographic differentiation were observed: genetic patchiness and clinal variation.These studies were done with protein polymorphisms (allozymes) which are less diagnostic of populationsubstructure than the more variable genetic markers found in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. We have recentlycompleted sequencing the entire blue crab mitochondrial genome and annotation of this sequence. In addition wehave isolated over 50 putative microsatellite loci from the blue crab nuclear genome which we are in the processof screening. To help distinguish hatchery raised crabs from wild cohorts we have characterized the geneticvariability in both the mitochondrial genome and nuclear genomes of Callinectes sapidus. The implications ofthese findings to the overall genetic structure of Callinectes sapidus will be addressed.

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SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATION IN DIETS OF THE MANGROVE GRAPSID CRABS,METOPOGRAPSUS FRONTALIS (MIERS) AND PERISESARMA BIDENS (DE HAAN):IMPLICATIONS TO MANGROVE OUTWELLING

Poon,* David Yiu Nam. Department of Ecology & Biodiversity and The Swire Institute of Marine Science, TheUniversity of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR; dynpoon@graduate.hku.hk.

The diets of the mangrove crabs, Metopograpsus frontalis and Perisesarma bidens (Decapoda: Grapsidae), wereinvestigated monthly from April 2002 to March 2003 at two Hong Kong mangroves. Gut contents could broadlybe classified into six categories: animal matter; macroalgae; microalgae (diatoms and cyanobacteria); plantmaterials (leaf litter and other identifiable plant tissues); sediments; and unidentified food items. Metopograpsusfrontalis was, in general, omnivorous, with animal matter, plant materials and, in particular, sediments beingdominant food items for most of the year. The diet of P. bidens was detritivorous, with plant materials andsediments dominating the foregut. In both species, more sediments were ingested during summer (April 2002 –August 2002) while microalgae were only present in trace amounts throughout the investigation period. Bothspecies, but in particular M. frontalis, showed a marked decline in percentage occurrence of food items duringwinter (November 2002 – February 2003), suggesting a reduction in foraging activity. Both sexes exhibitedsimilar dietary patterns, and inter-site (spatial) variation in dietary regime was not apparent. This study confirmsthat M. frontalis is an opportunistic feeder while P. bidens, like many other members of the family Sesarmidae, isa detritivore. The relative roles of the two crab species in leaf litter processing in relation to mangroveoutwelling, and the possible mechanisms shaping the dietary regimes of the crabs are briefly discussed.

A NEW ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS OF PERACARID ORDERS

Poore, Gary C. B.; Museum Victoria, PO Box 666E, Melbourne, Vic. 3001, Australia

Although the monophyly of the Peracarida has from time to time been questioned, this seems now to be no longerin doubt, Mysida excepted. A phylogenetic analysis of relationships between the orders based on parsimony hasdiscovered that: (1) Isopoda and Amphipoda are related and derived; (2) Cumacea and Tanaidacea belong in thesame clade as these two; (3) Spelaeogriphacea [Spelaeogriphus, Potiicoara and Mangkurtu] are a monophyletictaxon; (4) Mictacea [Mictocaris, Hirsutia and Thetispelecaris] are monophyletic and related to Spelaeogriphacea;and (5) the hypothesis proposing an alternate ordinal structure, Cosinzeneacea and Bochusacea, is not supported.Liaoningogriphus and Acadiocaris are supposed spelaeogriphaceans but in fact display few of the characters thatdefine that order. A cladogram relating peracarid orders suggests that the most primitive peracarids wereepibenthic animals with a short carapace but that these survive only in relictual habitats (mysidaceans excepted).The most successful peracarid are cryptic and lack a carapace.

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RELATION BETWEEN SALINITY AND JUVENILE BLUE CRAB DISTRIBUTION, GROWTH ANDSURVIVAL IN A RIVER-DOMINATED ESTUARY

Posey,* Martin, Troy Alphin, Heather Harwell and Bryan Allen. Center for Marine Science, UNC-Wilmington,Wilmington, NC 28409; poseym@uncw.edu

Although we have developed a reasonable understanding of juvenile blue crab distribution in larger estuaries andsounds (e.g. Chesapeake Bay and Pamlico Sound), less is known about patterns in the smaller, river-dominatedestuaries prevalent along the southeastern and gulf coasts of the United States. As part of a 5-year study ofjuvenile blue crab distribution and ecology, we sampled juvenile blue crab abundances from euhaline tooligohaline regions of the Cape Fear River and New River estuaries in North Carolina and have examined aspectsof growth, survivorship, recruitment, and habitat preference along this gradient. Smaller juveniles (<22 mm CW)are found most abundantly in low salinity areas, showing a negative correlation with salinity down to 5 o/oo. Thispattern becomes non significant for larger juveniles (>25mm). Survivorship as measured through enclosurestudies was greater at low salinity sites with a trend towards decreased intermolt period in these areas. Infaunalabundance patterns and substrate preference experiments suggest possible covariate factors of greater preyabundance in low salinity sites and preference for finer substrates that exhibit a broad negative relationship withsalinity. Potential predation risk also exhibits a negative relationship with salinity. These results suggest that whilejuvenile crabs may potentially be exposed to osmoregulatory costs in low salinity environments, they may derivecompensatory benefits. The Cape Fear, like many southeastern estuaries, lacks seagrass beds that may serve asjuvenile nurseries and juvenile crabs in these systems may utilize upper estuary shallows as an alternative habitat.

RECORDS OF MYSID SHRIMPS FROM THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, BRITISH WESTINDIES.

Price1,* Wayne, Richard 2Heard and Micah 2Bakenhaster. 1Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Tampa, Tampa, FL 33606;2College of Marine Science, Univ. of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, MS 39566; *wprice@ut.edu;

Only two species of mysids, Heteromysis spottei and Stygiomysis clarkei, have been previously reported from theTurks and Caicos Islands. Between 1988 and 1990, 21 species of mysids were collected from reef (to 38 m) andshallow non-reef habitats surrounding Pine Cay, Fort George Cay and Water Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands. Onespecies collected, Anchialina typica, is distributed throughout tropical and subtropical seas. Twelve species(Bowmaniella johnsoni, Dioptromysis paucispinosa, Heteromysis bermudensis, H. guitarti, H. mayana, Mysidiumcolumbiae, M. gracile, M. integrum, Mysidopsis bispinulata, M.brattstromei, Parvimysis bahamensis, Siriellachierchiae) are widely distributed throughout the subtopical and tropical waters of the Northwest Atlantic. Fourspecies (Amathimysis serrata, Heteromysis coralina, Mysidopsis mathewsoni, Siriella chessi) are reported foronly the second or third times. Four undescribed species are recognized, three species of Amathimysis associatedwith either gorgonians on reefs or grass beds and a species of Heteromysis collected from sponges on deeperreefs. Collection of material reported in this study was sponsored by the Oakleigh L. Thorne Foundation througha grant to Stephen Spotte. We thank Oakleigh B. Thorne, members and employees of the Meridian Club and theTurks and Caicos government for support and encouragement.

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ULTRASTRUCTURE, HISTOCHEMISTRY, AND MINERALIZATION PATTERNS IN THEECDYSIAL SUTURE OF THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPIDUS

Priester,* Carolina, Richard M. Dillaman and D. Mark Gay. Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina atWilmington, Wilmington, NC, 28403-5915; cp8477@uncw.edu

The ecdysial suture is the region on an arthropod exoskeleton that splits open to allow the animal to molt. Tounderstand why this region preferentially splits, we examined the morphology and composition of the ecdysialsuture of Callinectes sapidus using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), histology and histochemistry. Nohistological or thickness differences could be detected between the suture and the adjacent cuticle when stainedwith acridine orange or hematoxylin and eosin. Staining with a battery of FITC-labeled lectins revealed that onlythree, Lens culinaris agglutinin, Vicia faba agglutinin, and Pisum sativum agglutinin, were able to differentiate thesuture, binding more intensely to the suture exocuticle and less to a wedge-shaped region of the endocuticle. Allthree lectins have an affinity for fucosylated αN-acetylglucosamine with mannose dendrimers. SEM of fracturedcuticle showed that in the suture exocuticle the prisms are not in filled with calcium, whereas non-sutureexocuticle is solid. Back-scattered electron analysis of premolt cuticle indicates that both the exocuticle and thewedge-shaped endocuticle regions of the suture are less calcified than the surrounding cuticle. X-raymicroanalyses also indicated significant differences in magnesium and phosphorous content. It appears,therefore, that the suture region of the blue crab is different from the adjacent cuticle both in the composition ofthe organic matrix and the degree of mineralization. These characteristics appear to make the suture moresusceptible to the crab’s molting fluid and therefore make it predetermined to fail when stressed by the internalpressure exerted by the new cuticle formed under the old cuticle or exuviae. Supported by NSF Grant numberIBN 0114597 to RMD and a Sigma Xi Grant in Aid to Research to C.P.

GROWTH IN JUVENILE CALLINECTES SAPIDUS.

Quackenbush,* Scott, Charles Fasano, Amy Lowder, Chi Mori, Johanna Burnette, and Sarah Broders. Departmentof Biological Sciences, University North Carolina at Wilmington, NC, 28403; quackenbushs@uncw.edu

Cohorts of juvenile (5-20mm) Callinectes sapidus were collected from the same site in North Carolina in fall andspring of 2000 and 2001. Crabs were held in captivity for 120-day experiments to determine the effects ofdifferent salinity (5,15,24,30 0/00) and temperature (20,23,24,25,27,30 degrees centigrade) on their growth andmolting. All crabs had remarkably consistent growth rates despite the wide environmental differences. Theduration of their molt cycles was also very consistent, between 15-28 days on average. In some groups, thenumber of molts completed during the 120-day study varied with salinity and temperature. A cohort of crabscollected in fall 2001 had exceptional mean molt increments; they increased in size at each molt more than anyother replicates. Eyestalk ablation induced crabs to grow larger at each molt, but they did not molt faster thancontrols. Juvenile Callinectes sapidus adapt well to wide variations in salinity and temperature, with littledecrement on their growth or molting. Some cohorts of the crabs grew faster than others; this may be due to theirinitial condition when they recruited to the estuary. Supported by NSF: DBI 99-78613.

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SECONDARY DISPERSAL OF JUVENILE BLUE CRABS IS DENSITY-DEPENDENT

Reyns,* Nathalie B.1 and David B. Eggleston2. 1Center for Marine Sciences and Technology-NCSU, 303 CollegeCircle, Morehead City, NC 28557; 2Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina StateUniversity, Raleigh, NC 27695-8208; nbreyns@unity.ncsu.edu

While many studies have examined the dispersal dynamics of marine invertebrate larvae, considerably lessattention has focused on the secondary dispersal (pelagic, post-settlement emigration) of their juvenilecounterparts. In Pamlico Sound, NC, habitat connectivity is enhanced by secondary dispersal of early juvenileblue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) over relatively large distances (50-75 km). Previous results indicate thatsecondary dispersal primarily involves the pelagic emigration of small juvenile benthic instars following initialsettlement in seaward seagrass beds; however, the biological factors initiating this emigration remain unclear. Weconducted a field study to test the hypothesis that blue crab secondary dispersal is density-dependent. The densityand size-frequency distribution of juvenile blue crabs in two independent seagrass beds were quantified every fourdays during September 2002. We concurrently measured the concentration and size-frequency distribution ofjuvenile blue crabs in adjacent, downstream surface waters (measure of secondary dispersal). The relationshipbetween the concentration of pelagic juveniles versus density of benthic juveniles was analyzed with regressionanalysis using crab instar (J1,…,J9) as independent variables. Our results demonstrate that secondary dispersal ofblue crabs was not related to the total number of crabs within a seagrass bed, but rather, was a function of thedensity of specific instars. In particular, secondary dispersal increased with increasing density of benthic blue crabJ1 instars; but, this increase was non-linear, suggesting that secondary dispersal is density-dependent and resultsfrom interactions between crabs of similar size. Density-dependent secondary dispersal may reduce crowding ininitial settlement habitats, while increasing transport to alternative, across-sound habitats characterized by lowpostlarval supply.

A PHYLOGENETIC SURVEY OF PORCELLANIDAE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO ANDADJACENT WATERS.

Rodríguez,* Irene Teresa and Darryl L. Felder. Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette,Lafayette, Louisiana 70504; itr6490@louisiana.edu

The family Porcellanidae is comprised of crab-shaped anomuran crustaceans that number about 280 speciespartitioned among 30 genera. Western Atlantic members of this group are usually regarded to be thoroughlystudied and to consist of approximately 40 species assignable to 10 genera. However, accounts of the porcellanidfauna in the Gulf of Mexico and along mainland Caribbean coastlines of Central America remain relativelyscarce. Taxonomic assignment of some populations in this region can be difficult when techniques are limited tocommonly used morphological characters. To date, 21 species assignable to eight genera have been recorded forthis area. Potential for larval dispersal appears to be limited for at least some of these species, and there isquestion as to whether some widely distributed forms can be regarded as legitimate conspecifics. Little previouseffort has been made to evaluate population endemism in this group. A phylogenetic survey based on themitochondrial 16S DNA gene was undertaken for the majority of the porcellanids from the Gulf of Mexico.Distance and Bayesian methods were applied. New records and apparent new species have been discovered inthis area.

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DISTRIBUTION AND VERTICAL ZONATION OF UCA TANGERI (EYDOUX, 1835) IN THE SALT-MARSHES OF TORUÑOS (S. W. OF SPAIN)

Rodríguez, * Antonio and Javier López. Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Puerto Real (Cádiz), 11510,Spain; antonio.rodriguez@icman.csic.es

The distribution and vertical zonation of the fiddler crab Uca tangeri, was studied in the Toruños salt-marshes.The Toruños occupy a band about 5 kilometers long and 1,5 kilometers wide, bordered by the sea (Bay of Cádiz)and by a big channel (San Pedro river). It is cut by a network of small tidal channels and creeks. The Toruños isdescribed and divided into different environments determined by the species and forms of the vegetation, thepartcles size of the sediment and the elevation of the bottom in relation to tides. The distribution of Uca tangeri isconditioned principally by its preference for a muddy bottom where they easily burrow. Adult individuals alsoprefer to burrow where there are a vegetation cover. Respect to the elevation, most of the specimens werecollected between the extreme high water of neap tides (EHWN) and extreme high water of spring tides ( EXWS).

HARVESTING ON THE LAND CRAB CARDISOMA GUANHUMI IN PUERTO RICO: EFFECTS ONITS ABUNDANCE AND SURVIVAL

Rodríguez-Fourquet, C*. and A. Sabat. Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Box 23360, San Juan,Puerto Rico 00936. *manglar@prw.net

The land crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) is a commercially important species in Puerto Rico (18° 29' N 66° 7' W).In the last 25 years, surveys of land crab landings suggest a decline in the population of these organisms.However, no studies have been done to examine the population dynamics of land crabs and the factors thatinfluence abundance and survival. We hypothesize that the decline in the population responds to an increase inharvesting effort. To determine if over-harvesting is causing a decline in the population, we conducted monthlysurveys in six localities for a period of 11 months. In three of the localities intensive harvesting takes place. In theremaining three, crabs are protected, and very little harvesting takes place. In all localities animals were captured,measured, weighted, sexed, marked and released in an area of 100 m2. Estimates of abundance and survival werecalculated with the Jolly-Seber full model (with birth and death). A total of 149 crabs were tagged and released inthe harvested areas and 269 in the protected areas. C. guanhumi exhibited seasonality in numbers, with the highestestimates of abundance occurring between May and August. Mean abundance in the harvested areas (69.3 crabs)was about half that of the protected areas (154.8 crabs) (p< 0.012). Survival estimates were not significantlydifferent between the two areas. Mean survival in the harvested areas was 0.531 and in the protected areas was0.636. The results of this study show that harvesting is causing a reduction in the population of land crabs. Theseresults are useful for the development of a management plan for the sustainable use of this commerciallyimportant species as well as for the conservation of critical habitat for this species.

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WINTER MORTALITY OF BLUE CRABS (Callinectes sapidus) IN CHESAPEAKE BAY

Rome,* MS, AC Young-Williams, AH Hines, MR Goodison, R Aguilar. Smithsonian Environmental ResearchCenter, Edgewater, MD, michrom@aol.com

A relatively new effort in fisheries management is to establish a minimum stock size threshold which is used todetermine a maximum removal rate. Thus, stock size must be accurately estimated to adopt a target removal rateto maintain a sustainable fishery. Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), an important commercial fishery, are afundamentally tropical species and at the northern range of their distribution in Chesapeake Bay. Winter inducedmortality is a potentially important, yet unexamined, source of stock loss due to the major fluctuations of winterconditions. To assess the relative importance of winter environmental conditions on blue crab mortality, weconducted laboratory experiments to test the interactive effects of low temperature (1oC, 3oC, 5oC), low salinity(8, 12, 16 ppt), and life stage (recruits <15 mm carapace width, small juveniles 20-65 mm, medium juveniles 80-115 mm, and mature females). Mortality was highest within the lowest temperature and salinity treatments.Mature females were more sensitive to low temperatures and salinities than juvenile crabs, whereby 50%mortality occurred by the fifth day, and none survived till the end of the experiment (60 d). Recruits (<15mmcarapace width) were the most vulnerable size class of juvenile crabs, whereby 50% mortality occurred by thefifteenth day. In a field study throughout the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay, blue crabs were placed in fieldenclosures during a severe winter, mid-December 2002 to late March 2003 (96 d). Mortality was 100%, 97.6%and 95% for mature females, medium juveniles and small juveniles, respectively. These results suggesttemperature, salinity and crab size class are important variables in predicting survivorship over winter months.Furthermore, winter mortality may be a significant source of stock loss for blue crabs, especially during severewinters and in low salinity areas of Chesapeake Bay.

ISOPODS IN YOUR BACKYARD – AN EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROJECT

Schotte,* Marilyn. Department of Systematic Biology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

Terrestrial isopods (suborder Oniscidea) are a very common and familiar group of Crustacea but little studied inNorth America. A photo gallery of common species is being assembled for eventual attachment to theSmithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History website on isopods athttp://www.nmnh.si.edu/iz/isopod . As miniposters, these images will be downloadable onto PCs in homes andclassrooms to acquaint students and the public with these crustaceans commonly seen in backyards and otherfamiliar locations.

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HABITAT COMPLEXITY AS A DETERMINANT OF JUVENILE BLUE CRAB (CALLINECTESSAPIDUS) SURVIVAL IN SEAGRASS BEDS OF CHESAPEAKE BAY

Schulman Farrar*#, Jessica, Eric Farrar, Robert Orth, and Romuald Lipcius. Virginia Institute of Marine Science,The College of Williams and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062 USA; # present address: Versar, Inc., 9200Rumsey Road, Columbia, MD 21045; farrarjes@versar.com

The relationships between survival and abundance of juvenile blue crabs, and eelgrass (Zostera marina) shootdensity were analyzed experimentally using tethering of three stages of juvenile crabs in artificial eelgrass patchessituated within a natural eelgrass bed. Survival of both larger stages was positively related to eelgrass density;large juvenile crabs in early summer had a sigmoid survival response and 7th to 9th instars in late summer had ahyperbolic survival response, but small, late-summer juveniles displayed an inverse survival response. Theinverse response of the smallest crabs may reflect an interaction with a different predator suite. These resultsindicate the existence of survival functions that vary through the ontogeny of juvenile blue crabs. Colonization ofartificial eelgrass plots by juvenile crabs was also quantified. Both large and medium juvenile crabs utilizedartificial eelgrass habitats as predicted by their survival functions; positive relationships existed between shootdensity and crab abundance. Small juvenile crab abundance did not have a significant interaction with eelgrassdensity. Thus, while medium and large juveniles were most abundant and survived at higher rates in denseeelgrass, smaller juveniles had poor survival in dense eelgrass, although there was no significant relationshipbetween their abundance and eelgrass density. The differences in survival and abundance with juvenile crab stagemay result from cannibalism of small crabs by larger juveniles in dense eelgrass or from effects due to foodavailability and differing predator suites.

EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF GROWTH IN JUVENILE BLUE CRABS AS A FUNCTION OFPOST-SETTLEMENT SIZE, TEMPERATURE, AND SALINITY

Seebo,* Michael, Marcel Montane and Romuald Lipcius. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College ofWilliams and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062 USA; rom@vims.edu

Size structure of marine populations determines their survival, susceptibility to exploitation, and managementmeasures. The blue crab exhibits substantial variation in its size over the first two years of growth, which canpreclude definition of effective management options based on stock assessments. To understand the controls ofblue crab growth, we experimentally manipulated initial post-settlement size, temperature, and salinity, andmonitored growth of juvenile blue crabs over 420 days. Initial crab sizes averaged either 10-20 mm or 40-50 mmcarapace width. Temperatures were either high or low average temperatures from the field, and followed naturalcycles. Salinities were either high (20 psu) or low (14 psu), in an attempt to mimic average high and lowsalinities in lower Chesapeake Bay. Final average crab sizes ranged from 66-127 mm carapace width. Initialdifferences in size between the two size groups were maintained through the termination of the experiment;largest crabs initially were also the largest crabs at the end of the experiment. Crab growth was enhancedsubstantially at the warmer temperature. Salinity had no effect on crab growth at the higher temperature. At thelower temperature, however, crab growth was enhanced at low salinity. These results indicate the variable waysin which biotic and environmental factors drive crab growth, and define a means by which population sizestructure can be characterized based on environmental conditions.

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HABITAT-SPECIFIC VARIATION IN FOOD AVAILABILITY AND GROWTH OF BLUE CRABS(CALLINECTES SAPIDUS) IN THE FIELD

Seitz,* Rochelle, Romuald Lipcius and Michael Seebo. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College ofWilliams and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062 USA; seitz@vims.edu

Variation in habitat quality and resource availability can affect the distribution and growth of animals. Thin-shelled clams dominate many benthic communities in Chesapeake Bay, both numerically and in biomass, andthey can comprise up to 50% of the blue crab diet. Our objective was to determine which habitats were optimalfor juvenile crab growth and how food availability related to growth. We examined benthic infaunal foodavailability and concurrent growth of juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) at 30-40 sites along 50 km of theYork River during fall 2000 and spring 2001. In each year, 6-8 replicate sites along the York River wereestablished in each of five habitats (1) Seagrass, (2) Mud at the river mouth, (3) Sand at the river mouth, (4) Mudupriver, and (5) Sand upriver. Food availability inside and outside of 0.43-m2 crab growth cages was examinedalong with crab growth after 3-6 months. In both years, the Baltic clam, Macoma balthica, was equally abundantinside and outside of cages, whereas the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria, was only abundant inside of cages.Densities of Macoma were greatest in upriver mud, while those of Mya were greatest in upriver sand. Crabgrowth was significantly greater in spring-summer than fall-winter and was significantly higher upriver, whereclam densities were highest, than at the river mouth. Our upriver region is near the turbidity maximum, whichmay enhance pelagic and benthic productivity, and thereby provide more food for clams. Most interestingly, crabgrowth in seagrass was intermediate between growth upriver and downriver, suggesting that upriver, unvegetatedsubtidal habitats serve as valuable nursery habitats that rival seagrass beds.

ASPECTS OF CASTRATION BY SACCULINA GRANIFERA ON THE SAND CRAB PORTUNUSPELAGICUS.

Shields,* Jeffrey D. Dept. Environmental and Aquatic Animal Health, Virginia Institute of Marine Science,Gloucester Point, VA 23062

The rhizocephalan Sacculina granifera had a marked effect on the growth and gonadal development of its hostPortunus pelagicus. Crabs were susceptible to infection by the parasite at any size, but juvenile crabs were morefrequently infected with sacculina interna than were mature and last instar adults. The parasite exhibited twopeaks in prevalence, June - July and October - November. Sacculina internae were abundant from April toOctober with a peak in July. Sacculina externae occurred throughout the year but were most abundant inNovember. There were no significant differences between the prevalence of infection and host sex. Infected maleand juvenile crabs had significantly lower molt increments than did their uninfected counterparts. Crabs werefrequently castrated by the parasite, but, in some cases, castration was not complete. Sterile hosts were observedin mating embraces and, in a few cases, sterile egg clutches were observed. When prevalent, sterile females maycompete for mates with uninfected females, but the effect may be diminished because male crabs are polygynous.However, castrated males can mate with females and produce infertile matings. The impact of sterile matingsrepresents a further cost of the parasite to the host population.

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IN VITRO CULTURE OF THE PARASITIC DINOFLAGELLATE HEMATODINIUM SP. FROM THEBLUE CRAB CALLINECTES SAPIDUS.

Shields,1* Jeffrey D. and Hamish Small.2 1Environmental and Aquatic Animal Health, Virginia Institute ofMarine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062; 2Dept. Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK;jeff@vims.edu

Hematodinium is a genus of parasitic dinoflagellates whose species proliferate in the hemocoel and hemolymph ofseveral commercially important crustaceans. Species of Hematodinium have caused and continue to causesignficant annual losses to several national and international fisheries. Losses due to the disease can occur on alarge, but cryptic, scale. Seasonal prevalences of H. perezi of up to 85% occur annually during “silent” fall“blooms” in blue crabs along the mid Atlantic seaboard of the USA. We have recently cultured H. perezi fromthe blue crab using a modified Nephrops saline augmented with FBS as in Appleton and Vickerman (1998). Itslife cycle in culture is bizarre, far different from that reported for other parasitic or free-living dinoflagellates,even for that reported for species of Pfiesteria. Subcultures of isolates have thrived, replicated and progressedthrough several life history stages for well over 60 days. Culture viability appeared density dependent, a featurethat may hinder attempts at cloning. Because very little is known about the biology and life cycle of mostparasitic dinoflagellates, successful in vitro culture of H. perezi will facilitate study of many comparative aspectsof its transmission and life history.

Appleton, P.L., K. Vickerman. 1998. In vitro cultivation and developmental cycle of a parasitic dinoflagellate(Hematodinium sp.) associated with mortality of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in British waters.Parasitology 116: 115-130.

COMPARISONS OF POPULATION STRUCTURE FOR THREE LARGE BRANCHIOPODS CO-OCCURRING IN EPHEMERAL POOLS IN THE LAKE MUNSON SANDHILLS REGION OF THEAPALACHICOLA NATIONAL FOREST.

Spears, Trisha. Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1100;spears@bio.fsu.edu

The Lake Munson Sandhills Region of the Apalachicola National Forest south of Tallahassee, Florida ischaracterized by numerous ephemeral pools, many of which contain so-called "large" branchiopod crustaceansthat emerge from dried cysts in the soil when the pools fill after periods of heavy rain. Three species of largebranchiopods have been identified from this region, each representing a different order: two species of clamshrimp, Lynceus gracilicornis (Order Laevicaudata) and Limnadia lenticularis (Order Spinicaudata), and a fairyshrimp, Streptocephalus sealii (Order Anostraca). Initial surveys have identified ponds that contain one, two, orall three species. Among the three species, L. gracilicornis is less common. Nucleotide sequence data wereobtained for a 675 base-pair portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene for multiplerepresentatives of the three species from pools in which all three co-occurred to permit a comparison of geneticdiversity within and among pools. Sequence analyses indicate population structure among pools within even arelatively small (4.5 km x 1.5 km) area, suggesting that the pools that were surveyed do not represent one largehomogeneous population for any given species. Patterns of population structure were more similar for L.lenticularis and S. sealii, with L. gracilicornis exhibiting a completely different pattern for the same pools.Hence, gene flow between pools is not uniform across species, with L. gracilicornis showing more limited geneflow. These findings are potentially important for designing conservation and management strategies for thesewetland areas.

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MULTI GENE ANALYSIS ON BRANCHIOPOD PHYLOGENY

Stenderup,* Jesper Tandberg1, Henrik Glenner1 and Jørgen Olesen2; 1Department of Evolutionary Biology,Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 15 Universitetsparken, DK-2100 Copenhagen OE,Denmark; jtstenderup@zmuc.ku.dk; 2Department of Invertebrates, Zoological Museum, University ofCopenhagen, Copenhagen, 15 Universitetsparken, DK-2100 Copenhagen OE, Denmark

The phylogeny of the branchiopod crustaceans involves numerous intriguing problems, which are still partlyunsolved in spite of much effort over the years. Most of the debate has been centered on the phylogenetic statusof the Diplostraca (‘Conchostraca’+Cladocera) and includes questions concerning the monophyly of theCladocera (Haplopoda, Onychopoda, Anomopoda and Ctenopoda), the possible paraphyly of the Conchostraca(Laevicaudata+Spinicaudata) as well as whether or not to place the conchostracan Cyclestheria hislopi inside theSpinicaudata or as a sister group to the Cladocera (possibly as separate order, the Cyclestherida). We sequencedone nuclear (28S rDNA) and one mitochondrial (16S rDNA) gene of more than 40 species for a total length of~1500 bp. The sampling included representatives from all “larger” branchiopod groups (Anostraca, Notostracaand ‘Conchostraca’) as well as from all higher cladoceran groups. The sequences included in this analysis wereprealigned using Clustal X and optimized by secondary structure and eye. The analyses were performed for eachgene separately and combined using the parsimony based program PAUP for parsimony and maximum likelihoodanalyses and MrBayes for bayesian inference of phylogeny. In this study all analyses strongly support theparaphyly of the ‘Conchostraca’, placing Cyclestheria hislopi as a sister group to a monophyletic Cladocera. TheSpinicaudata (without Cyclestheria) was also supported. The Gymnomera (Onychopoda+Haplopoda) also findssupport in all analyses whereas the Phyllopoda sensu Preuss 1951 (‘Conchostraca’, Notostraca, and Anostraca) isonly supported by 28S.

DEPTH DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT USE OF DEEPWATER CRABS ON GULF OF ALASKASEAMOUNTS

Stevens,* Bradley1, Tom Shirley2, and William Donaldson3; 1NMFS/NOAA, Kodiak Fisheries Research Center,301 Research Ct., Kodiak, AK, 99615; Bradley.g.stevens@noaa.gov; 2School of Fisheries and Science, Universityof Alaska, Juneau, AK 99801; 3Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, 211 Mission Rd, Kodiak, AK 99615.

Gulf of Alaska (GOA) seamounts support a diverse community of underexploited species that have become thetarget of exploratory fishing, but knowledge of their biology is poor. In July 1999 and 2002, we dived on fourGOA seamounts in the DSV Alvin, to study the depth distribution and habitat use by deepwater crab species.Golden king crab Lithodes aequispina had the shallowest mean depth (275 m), and little overlap with scarlet kingcrab L. couesi (mean 622 m). Juvenile L. aequispina were observed only in a narrow band of cobble between 580and 620 m, just below a dense zone of crinoids, suggesting that predation by filter feeders limits larval settlement.Lithodes sp. were associated with rock, cobble, or gravel, whereas Chionoecetes sp. were associated with gravelor sandy mud. Some crabs were closely associated with corals, and mating pairs of L. couesi and Paralomis sp.were observed only on or inside vase sponges. Evidence suggests that mating activity is partly seasonal for L.aequispina. Few grooved Tanner crab Chionoecetes tanneri (741 m) or triangle Tanner crab C. angulatus wereobserved. The most abundant species (1245 observed) was a galatheid, Chirostylus sp. (mean depth 695 m). Thelarge-clawed spider crab M. macrochira, previously unreported from the GOA, was the most abundantbrachyuran crab (186 observed), ranged to at least 3240 m, and probably beyond. Many were missing legs,suggesting that these crabs achieve a terminal molt. Low oxygen and food levels are probably the most importantfactors controlling depth distributions.

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POSTNAUPLIAR STAGES OF A THAUMATOPSYLLID COPEPOD FROM A REEF AREA OF THEWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA

Suárez-Morales, *Eduardo and Edgar Tovar. National Museum of Natural History, S.I., Dept. of Systematic Biology.MRC-163. Washington, D.C. 20013-7012. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR). A.P. 424. Chetumal, QuintanaRoo 77000. México

Copepods of the family Thaumatopsyllidae are semiparasitic forms in which naupliar development takes place insideophiurid echinoderms; the postnaupliar stages are free-living. The morphology and development of the postnaupliarstages remain practically unstudied. Plankton samples collected following the moon cycle in a reef area of theMexican Caribbean yielded different copepodid stages of Caribeopsyllus chawayi Suárez-Morales. Four copepodidstages (CI-III, CV) and the adult form are described and illustrated in detail. Both copepodid and adult forms arecompletely devoid of mouthparts and antennae. This species appears to moult rapidly from CIII into a preadult CV. Itis suggested that this species has a reduced life cycle, with a pre-adult appearing after the CIII stage; differing fromother copepod taxa, the number of setal elements in the legs of the CIII stage remain unaltered until reaching the adultstage. The delayed formation of selected structures (setae, arthrodial membranes) of the legs seem to be derivatedcharacters relative to previously known patterns. The CV and adult forms occurred exclusively during the full of themoon phase, whereas CI-CIII copepodids were collected during half moon only; no specimens were collected in thenew moon phase. This is possibly a result of a strategy related to both, the encounter of mate and host, and a tide-stream selective transport in this reef area.

POSTMOLT CRABS USE A HYDROSTATIC SKELETON FOR SUPPORT, MOVEMENT, ANDLOCOMOTION

Taylor,* Jennifer R. A., and William M. KierDepartment of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; jataylor@email.unc.edu

Immediately after each molt, crustaceans maintain the capacity for forceful movement and locomotion despite theloss of their rigid exoskeleton. How postmolt support and mobility are accomplished has not been studiedpreviously. The soft, water-inflated bodies of newly molted crustaceans resemble other soft-bodied animals thatuse hydrostatic skeletal support (i.e. an incompressible volume of fluid serves as the compression-resistingelement). We hypothesize that crustaceans switch to hydrostatic skeletal support following ecdysis. We testedthis hypothesis on newly molted blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, by simultaneously measuring internal hydrostaticpressure within the cheliped and the force exerted by the cheliped during adduction. A strong correlation betweeninternal hydrostatic pressure and force of flexure was observed in soft-shell and paper-shell stage animals,consistent with the use of hydrostatic skeletal support. A correlation between pressure and force was notobserved in hard-shell crabs. The demonstration of hydrostatic skeletal support in a postmolt crustacean explainshow these animals remain active in spite of having shed their rigid exoskeleton and may provide new insights intopostmolt behavior. This finding also has implications for evolution to the terrestrial environment, where postmoltcrustaceans are susceptible to desiccation and gravitational forces.

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OVERT AND CRYPTIC FEMALE CHOICE DURING MATING IN A MARINE ROCK SHRIMP

Thiel, Martin, Eliecer Diaz and Ivan Hinojosa. Facultad Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte,Larrondo 1281, Coquimbo, Chile,. thiel@ucn.cl

In the marine rock shrimp Rhynchocinetes typus the mating process is strongly dominated by males. Usuallyseveral (~5 up to 10) males of different morphology compete for access to receptive females: subordinate typusmales transfer sperm to receptive females without any courtship, while dominant robustus males monopolise,court, and guard females during the mating process. All males take a very proactive role in the mating process,apparently leaving little opportunity for female choice. Herein we examined whether and how females may exerta choice between different types of males. When subordinate typus males and dominant robustus males weretethered at opposite sides of a large tank, females examined both forms of males but only allowed capture andmating by robustus males. Thus, females overtly selected the dominant robustus males. In an experiment in whichfemales received sperm from either typus or robustus males, the females actively removed sperm of subordinatetypus males but did not touch sperm of robustus males. This suggests that females exerted cryptic choice of malesperm, discriminating against sperm from subordinate typus males. We conclude that female choice is animportant, but less apparent, component of the mating process in the rock shrimp R. typus. Females exert subtlechoices favoring males that have a higher potential to guard them during mating and to fertilise their entire clutch.We suggest that female choice is an important component of the mating process in marine crustaceans with anapparent strongly male-centred mating behaviour.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR OF PARENT-OFFSPRING GROUPS IN CRUSTACEANS.

Thiel, Martin. Facultad Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Larrondo 1281, Coquimbo, Chile,.thiel@ucn.cl

Extended parental care is not uncommon among crustaceans from aquatic and terrestrial environments. Herein, Ianalyse present knowledge about the social behavior of parent-offspring groups. In the majority of crustaceans,parental care is provided exclusively by females. Biparental care has been reported from some burrow-livingspecies where males engage in burrow-establishment, -maintenance, or -defence. Most reports of social behaviorfrom parent-offspring groups are anecdotal observations of intra- or extra-familiar interactions. Aggressiveness ofparents often is higher than that of non-brooding adults. Parents fend off unrelated adults, but occasionallytolerate unrelated offspring among their own. Offspring generally behaves indifferent towards unrelated adults,but has been reported to interact aggressively with unrelated juveniles. Interactions between parents and theiroffspring have been commonly reported and involve feeding, grooming, defence and active gathering of familymembers. Feeding of offspring by the females usually does not involve specific interactions: females merelytolerate their offspring while feeding themselves. Female behavior towards males and juveniles has a stronginfluence on the persistence of family groups. Available data indicate that family recognition has evolved amongseveral species where family members temporarily separate but re-associate frequently (desert isopods & semi-terrestrial crayfish), or when dwellings are rare and valuable (snapping shrimp). Prolonged cohabitation of parentsand sexually maturing offspring is rare among crustaceans, most likely because resources become limiting andfamily members are unable to maintain and defend stable dwellings. This review shows that social interactions arecomplex and diverse among crustaceans living in small family units, but future studies are required to achieve abetter understanding of the evolution of their social behavior

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MASS SNAPPING COLONY-WIDE COMMUNICATION IN SOCIAL SHRIMP

Tóth, Eva & Emmett Duffy. Biological Sciences, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, Virginia.e-mail:etoth@vims.edu

Colonies of the social sponge-dwelling shrimp, Synalpheus regalis exhibit a remarkable phenomenon that we callmass snapping. During mass snapping many colony members snap rhythmically at the same time, suggesting thatmass snapping has certain communicative functions. We transferred 50 individually marked shrimp (queen, 25big animals and 25 small animals) from a single colony into an observation set-up that consisted of a slice ofsponge between two glass plates, and we recorded mass snappings on videotapes. We analyzed how masssnappings were elicited, who participated in it, how long they lasted, and what possible change they caused in thebehavior of the colony members. We conducted these observations on separate colonies. Mass snapping alwaysstarted when one individual aggressively snapped at another one 4-7 times in a row while chasing the attackedanimal to the periphery of the sponge. The majority of the colony members then started to snap rhythmically fortens of seconds. Colony members involved in mass snapping were not necessarily close to the attacker animal thatstarted to snap first, suggesting that the signal was transferred over some distance through the substrate (sponge)rather than by water (cavitation bubble). Animals involved in mass snapping were stationary, they did not activelysearch for the chased individual. This indicates that mass snapping has other functions than stimulating colonymembers to attack. We speculate that mass snapping is a warning signal that colonies use to indicate to a possibleintruder that the sponge is inhabited by a colony that contains many individuals.

GENETIC DIVERGENCE BETWEEN TWO MORPHOLOGICALLY SIMILAR VARIETIES OF THEKURUMA SHRIMP PENAEUS JAPONICUS

Tsoi, Kwok Ho, Zhi Yong Wang and Ka Hou Chu*. Department of Biology, The Chinese University of HongKong, Hong Kong, China; e-mail: kahouchu@cuhk.edu.hk

The kuruma shrimp Penaeus japonicus is widely distributed throughout the Indo-West Pacific (IWP). Twomorphologically similar varieties characterized by different stripe patterns on the ventral carapace wererecognized from the South China Sea. The aim of this study was to elucidate genetic differences between thesetwo varieties. Sequence data and restriction profiles of the mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA and cytochromeoxidase I (COI) revealed that the two varieties represented distinct clades (A and B), with sequence divergencesof about 1% (477 bp) in 16S rRNA and 6-7% (504 bp) in COI. Analysis of amplified fragment lengthpolymorphism also supported the segregation of the two distinct clades as revealed in mitochondrial DNAanalysis. We also attempted to investigate the geographical distribution of these two varieties in IWP. Analysison specimens collected from Japan and Singapore indicated strong genetic differentiation between the twolocalities; all individuals from Japan were clade A variety, but all those from Singapore belonged to clade Bvariety. The results strongly suggest the occurrence of two genetically distinct varieties of P. japonicus in IWP.Detailed studies on the molecular population structure of the two varieties are now in progress.

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A LIFE HISTORY MODEL FOR THE CALIFORNIA POPULATION OF THE CHINESE MITTENCRAB, ERIOCHEIR SINENSIS.

Tsukimura,* Brian1, Deborah Rudnick2, Tanya Veldhuizen3, Richard Tullis4, Kathryn Heib5, Carolyn Culver6.1Department of Biology, California State University (CSU), Fresno, CA 93720; briant@csufresno.edu;2University of California, Berkeley; 3 California Department of Water Resources; 4California State University,Hayward; 5California Department of Fish & Game; 6Univeristy of California, Santa Barbara

First discovered in San Francisco Bay in 1992, the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, has become firmlyestablished over hundreds of km2 of the San Francisco Estuary and its catchments. The crabs potential tonegatively impact native species, habitats, and levee stability motivated our efforts to understand the life historyof this catadromous mitten crab in California. Data for this life history model comes from both the authors’research and scientific literature. Juvenile crabs migrate into freshwater areas where they develop into adults.Growth rates suggest that this process requires a minimum of one year and when temperature is considered, up to3 additional years. Environmental signals appear to stimulate gonad development that is followed by adownstream migration beginning at the end of summer. Mating occurs after the crabs reach saline water, wherethe females then ovoposit and fertilize eggs. These embryos are carried until hatching, and the larvae undergo 5zoeal stages before settlement. Our model projects rates of larval development at various temperatures andpredicts that juvenile crabs migrate into fresh water during their second year. Growth rate data suggest that atleast one year in fresh water is required to become large enough to attain sexual maturity. Our model supports aminimum of 2 years in fresh water and possibly more, and predicts that most California mitten crabs are at least 3years old prior to embarking on their downstream migration. Environmental factors responsible for major lifehistory changes will be proposed.

CRUSTACEAN PARASITES OF FISHES IN LAKE BIWA AND ITS WATERSHED, JAPAN

Urawa, Shigehiko, Mark Grygier* & Kazuya Nagasawa. SU: National Salmon Resources Center, Sapporo,Hokkaido 062-0922, Japan; e-mail: urawa@salmon.affrc.go.jp

Based on collections made by the first author in 1978-1980 and surveys organized by the second author in 1997-2002 (identified by the first and third authors), the occurrences of ergasilid and lernaeid copepods, and ofbranchiurans, infesting fishes in Lake Biwa and its watershed, west-central Japan, are listed presented. Ergasilidsare represented by Ergasilus briani (3 hosts), Neoergasilus japonicus (12 hosts), N. longispinosus (1 host), twoundescribed species of Neoergasilus (termed N. sp. 1 and N. sp. 3), Pseudergasilus parasiluri (1 host), and P.zacconis (10 hosts). Neoergasilus sp. 1, widespread in Japan, infests a gudgeon, Sarcocheilichthys variegatus, andtwo kinds of goby, Rhinogobius sp. and Gymnogobius urotaenia, in Lake Biwa; N. sp. 3 is so far known onlyfrom Lake Biwa, infesting the crucian carps Carassius cuvieri and C. auratus grandoculis. This is only the secondrecord of P. parasiluri in Japan (infesting the catfush Silurus asotus). Lernaeids are represented by Lernaeacyprinacea on introduced bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and by Lamproglena chinensis, which was apparentlyintroduced from mainland Asia along with its host, the snakehead Channa argus; this is the second record of L.chinensis in Japan. Two species of the branchiuran genus Argulus are present, A. japonicus from Cyprinus andCarassius in lowlands around Lake Biwa and A. coregoni from Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae in mountainstreams (also, one old literature record from the lake itself). An isopod, Ichthyoxenus opisthopterygium, from thebitterling Acheilognathus tabira tabira, has not been recorded since its original description in 1916 and the host isnow quite uncommon; this isopod may be extinct in Lake Biwa.

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SPATIAL VARIABILITY IN POSTLARVAL SETTLEMENT, JUVENILE CRAB DENSITY AND SIZE

van Montfrans,* Jacques1, Robert Orth1, Karen Metcalf2, and Romuald Lipcius1; 1Virginia Institute of MarineScience, The College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062; vanm@vims.edu; 2Florida Departmentof Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Aquaculture, Tallahassee, Florida 32301

Recruitment of marine species with planktonic larvae can vary temporally and spatially, and may determine theinitial size of local populations. We quantified settlement (measured daily as the abundance on artificialsettlement substrates) of blue crab megalopae at up- and down-river sites in two tributaries (York andRappahannock rivers) of Chesapeake Bay over four time periods of five days each. Samples were collectedduring periods of expected high settlement coinciding with autumnal new and full moons. Settlement wasgenerally higher in the York River (nearest to the source of ingressing postlarvae), and at down-river sites. Wealso quantified post-settlement abundance and size of blue crabs in each of five habitat types at settlement sites ineach tributary: seagrass, mud near seagrass, sand near seagrass, mud away from seagrass, and sand away fromseagrass. Juvenile abundances were highly variable with highest numbers consistently found in seagrass habitats.Crab size varied significantly by habitat type with smallest crabs in seagrass. Results indicate that proximity tothe source of ingressing megalopae and habitat type play an important role in determining initial densities of bluecrabs in nature.

ECOLOGICAL CONTEXT AND THE EVOLUTION OF MATING BEHAVIOR IN FRESHWATERAMPHIPODS

Wellborn,* Gary A. Department of Zoology and Biological Station, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma73019; gwellborn@ou.edu

Mating behaviors evolve within an ecological context, and that environmental setting can shape the expression ofvirtually all components of an animal’s reproductive behavior. My presentation addresses our current knowledgeof some primary issues in amphipod mating behavior, with an emphasis on how explicit consideration ofecological context informs our general understanding of the processes that influence the evolution of matingbehavior. This issue is illustrated through some recent studies of mating behavior in species of the Hyalellaazteca species complex. In particular I focus on two morphotypes, represented by multiple species, that differ inbody size and a suite of associated life history traits. Small Hyalella species occur in habitats that experiencestrong size-selective predation by fish, while large species occur in habitats that lack predatory fish. Thisdifference in predator community causes small species to face increasing mortality risk with size, and largespecies to experience decreasing mortality with size. Disparity in ecological context may play a significant role inthe evolution of reproductive behavior in these species. For example, in large morphotype species, femalespreferentially mate with larger males, but in small morphotype species larger males do not gain a similar matingadvantage, a result consistent with the hypothesis that the mortality cost of large body size in habitats with fishconstrains the evolution of female preference. Species types also differ in the duration of precopulatory pairing.Small species, which suffer elevated predation risk during pairing, pair for a significantly shorter period prior tocopulation. The disparate environments of the two morphotypes may additionally play a role in speciesdifferences observed for sexual size dimorphism and intensity of sexual selection acting on a sexually dimorphicappendage.

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KEY FACTORS INFLUENCING TRANSPORT OF WHITE SHRIMP (LITOPENAEUS SETIFERUS)POSTLARVAE IN SOUTHEASTERN U.S. ESTUARIES

Wenner,* E.L., D. M. Knott , C. A. Barans, S. Wilde , J. O. Blanton, and J. Amft. Marine Resources ResearchInstitute, Charleston, SC and Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Savannah, GA; wennere@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us.

We examine conditions under which white shrimp postlarvae enter an estuarine channel receiving high freshwaterdischarge and one receiving negligible discharge in the Ossabaw sound system of Georgia, USA during 1997 and1998. The results of postlarval white shrimp ingress into the Ossabaw system were compared with previousresults obtained from the North Edisto Inlet (Wenner et al. 1998), in the southeastern US. In the Ossabaw Soundstudy, we used surface plankton nets to collect plankton over several 14-d periods, during which consecutive towswere made at night against the flooding current at stations in the inlet channels. During the course of the 14-dextensive sampling periods, additional intensive periods of around-the-clock surface and near-bottom planktontows were made. Postlarvae were also collected near the bottom of the water column during the intensivesampling phases using bottom sleds. Data on oceanographic conditions were obtained from moored instrumentarrays and shipboard sampling. We identified three key factors that influenced the densities of postlarval whiteshrimp in time and space within the Ossabaw and North Inlet systems. The first factor was a critical minimumtemperature of coastal waters at 27-28 C. Once the threshold temperature is reached, lunar tidal stage became akey factor with the full duration of the flood tide coinciding with darkness during peak ingress. These conditions,in turn, set the stage for the strong influence of wind stress and its effect on coastal circulation. In response to oneor more of these conditions, postlarval densities increased greatly within an inlet.

LONG-TERM TRENDS IN BLUE CRAB (CALLINECTES SAPIDUS) STOCKS IN SOUTH CAROLINAAND HYPOTHESES ON FACTORS AFFECTING THEIR STATUS

Wenner,* E.L., L. Delancey, J. Jenkins, and O. Pashuk. Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, SC29422; wennere@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us

The blue crab fishery is the second most economically important fishery in South Carolina. Long-term annuallandings of hard crab have been relatively stable at about 6 million lbs; however, there has been a major increasein the number of pots fished since 2000. The peeler crab fishery constitutes about 5% of the blue crab fishery orless. This fishery has expanded in the last 20 years and its value appears to be increasing over time. Fishery-independent sampling by trawl in bays, sounds and creeks as well as hard crab pots in South Carolina indicate adecline in overall catch since 2001. Examination of catches over time suggests that optimum environmentalconditions coupled with good spawning success contribute to years of high abundance. Based on May-June datafrom the trawl surveys, we found that the number of mature females in our survey has declined markedly since1996. Catches have been particularly low in 2001-2002. A shift in salinity regimes due to drought in summer2002 has created a refuge for a number of crabs, dominated by males, above the legal fishing line. Thecombination of low numbers of spawning stock with poor recruitment, poor environmental conditions typified bycold winter/spring water temperatures and low river discharge which may be linked to El Nino/La Nina events,and high fishing mortality rates, are likely contributing to the recent decline in blue crab stocks. An immediateconcern is management of the spawning stock and whether there are sufficient spawners this year to haveadequate juvenile recruits the following fall.

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ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL TAXONOMIC CENTER (SERTC) INCHARLESTON, SC.

Wenner, Elizabeth L., David M. Knott, Rachael A. King*, Susan L. Thornton, Marine Resources ResearchInstitute, SCDNR, Charleston, SC 29422, serct@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us

Despite the global imperative to prevent loss of biodiversity, a 40-year decline has occurred in the number oftaxonomists, and a shortage of taxonomic resources now impairs efforts to conserve biodiversity. This shortagealso impedes efforts to determine effects of human population growth in the southeastern US, since accurateidentification is a critical tool for distinguishing natural distributions from those altered by anthropogenicprocesses. The dwindling number of scientists who can reliably identify the biota of the region also severelydiminishes our capacity to recognize the presence of invasive species. In response to this taxonomic crisis, theSCDNR established the Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center at the Marine Resources Research Institute andthe Grice Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina. SERTC provides a regional focus on developingtaxonomic expertise and the infrastructure to support the region’s resource management and scientificcommunities. The SERTC staff has begun accumulating a specimen collection that will be managed usingSPECIFY software, a library of taxonomic literature, and a tissue repository for use in genetic differentiation ofspecies. Future efforts will include preparation of taxonomic descriptions, keys, and illustrations of new speciesfrom the region, along with website construction to provide access to that material, and to profiles of selectedspecies and links to the literature and specimen databases. Workshops at SERTC will support regional taxonomictraining and research. SERTC encourages donation of whole specimens, research vouchers and taxonomicliterature from other regional institutions, and is pursuing collaborative efforts with facilities that have holdings oftaxonomic value.

ZOOGEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS OF DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS OF THE CONTINENTAL SLOPESAND ABYSSAL PLAIN OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

Wicksten, Mary K. Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843;Wicksten@mail.bio.tamu.edu

At least 128 species of benthic decapods live at depths of 200 m or more in the Gulf of Mexico. Of these, 23 areknown from l0 or fewer specimens. Sampling for decapods has been qualitative, using trawls, traps andskimmers. I compiled species lists for 2X2 degree squares of latitude and longitude in the Gulf. I analyzedpresence/absence data by the Ward method and Jaccard's coefficient to compare species composition. Themajority of species range throughout the Gulf, or are confined to areas of particular habitat (such as gas hydrateseeps). The areas of greatest species diversity are the De Soto Submarine Canyon and Mississippi Trough. Atleast six species live only in the eastern Gulf. The fauna of the Sigsbee Abyssal Plain is poorly studied, but seemsto be relatively uniform. The fauna of the Straits of Florida is distinct from that of the Gulf of Mexico. Most(32%) of the species range from Cape Hatteras south to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Twelve abyssalspecies are cosmopolitan in distribution. Nine species are unique to the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico isparticularly rich in species of Munidopsis, represented by 24 species.

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OXYGEN CONSUMPTION OF GAMMARUS ACHERONDYTES AND G. TROGLOPHILUS, TWOCAVE AMPHIPODS FROM ILLINOIS CAVERNS

Wilhelm,* Frank M.1, Steven J. Taylor2, Michael P. Venarsky1, and Ginny L. Adams1

1Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Carbondale, IL 62901-6501;fwilhelm@zoology.siu.edu2Center for Biodiversity, Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 East Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820-6970

Pristine cave ecosystems are characteristically food poor environments with low densities of species adapted tolow food conditions. Contamination of cave streams due to increased nutrients from surface runoff allowsinvasive stygophitic species (those that can survive on the surface and in caves) to become established anddisplace stybobitic species (those restricted to cave environments) possibly because the former have highermetabolic rates. In Illinois Caverns, as in other caves in Monroe and St. Clair counties, IL, Gammarustroglophilus, a stygophitic amphipod, co-occurs with and may be replacing the federally endangered G.acherondytes, a stygobite, due to nutrient enrichment of water reaching the caves. To test the hypothesis that G.troglophilus has a higher metabolic rate than G. acherondytes and may be advantaged under high nutrientconditions we measured the seasonal basal metabolic rates of both species in the laboratory. Slopes of the rate ofoxygen consumption versus amphipod body mass differed. The relationship for G. troglophilus was steeper thanfor G. acherondytes indicating that large sized G. troglophilus have a higher mass-specific respiration rate than G.acherondytes. Gammarus troglophilus may have a further competitive advantage because adult body size, hencereproductive capacity, may be larger than for G. acherondytes. Reversing the invasive trend will require aconcerted effort on the surface to mitigate the degradation of cave streams.

HATCHERY MASS PRODUCTION OF BLUE CRAB (CALLINECTES SAPIDUS) JUVENILES

Zmora*1, Oded, Andrea Findiesen1, Emily Lipman1, John Stubblefield1, Anson H. Hines2, Jana L.D. Davis2,Alicia Young-Williams2 and Yonathan Zohar1. 1Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of MarylandBiotechnology Institute, Baltimore, Maryland; 2Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater,Maryland.

Responding to the rapidly declining abundance and harvests of the blue crab in the Chesapeake Bay, amultidisciplinary research program was established to study blue crab basic biology, develop hatcherytechnologies for its mass production and examine the feasibility of its stock enhancement. This presentation willaddress the hatchery work. Exposing wild-caught, mated blue crab females to phase-shifted photo-thermalconditions resulted in out-of-season hatching of millions of zoeae 1. Larval rearing to the zoea 8/megalopa stagewas conducted at densities of 40-110 individuals per liter based on a diet comprised of microalgae, rotifers andArtemia nauplii. Zoeae 8/megalopae were produced in an average of 22 days with survival rates of 41.5%.Maximal survival was 74%. Secondary growth of zoeae 8/megalopae to 20 mm juvenile crabs was conducted atlower densities of 2-40 individuals per liter. To reduce cannibalism, ample shelter structure was introduced andthe crabs were graded by size. Diet was comprised of adult Artemia, shredded squid and artificial pellets. In large-scale conditions, 20 mm juvenile crabs were produced in 64 days at a survival rate of 46%. Trade-off betweendensity, survival rate and total output in mass production of juveniles will be discussed. During spring/summer2002, we produced 40,000 juvenile crabs, of which 25,000 were individually tagged and experimentally releasedto the Chesapeake Bay. In April 2003, the blue crab life cycle was closed in captivity, when a hatchery-producedfemale that mated at the age of 5 months, produced a brood at the age of 10.5 months and released secondgeneration larvae.

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CHARACTERIZATION OF KEY CDNAS OF THE ENDOCRINE AXES REGULATINGREPRODUCTION AND MOLTING IN THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPIDUS.

Zmora*, Nilli and John M. Trant, Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland BiotechnologyInstitute, Baltimore, MD 21202. trant@umbi.umd.edu

For the first time in brachyurans, the full sequences of a number of cDNAs encoding key hormones, enzymes andreceptors of the reproductive/molting endocrine axes were isolated from the blue crab. Using 5’ and 3’ RACERT-PCR, O-methyltransferase (OMT), the rate-limiting regulatory enzyme for methyl farnesoate (MF)production, was isolated from the mandibular organ. The deduced amino acid sequences is 74% identical to theMetapenaeus ensis enzyme. The enzyme involved in ecdysone synthesis, CYP4, was isolated from the Y-organand is 59% identical to the Cherax quadricarinatus enzyme at the amino acid level. The ecdysone receptor (EcR)cDNA was isolated from ovary tissue. The amino acid sequence of EcR shares ~96% identity with the EcR fromthe Fiddler crab and many insects. Our attempts to isolate the mandibular-organ-inhibiting-hormone (MOIH) andgonad inhibiting hormone (GIH) from the X-organ/Sinus gland were unsuccessful. Therefore a molting inhibitinghormone (MIH) subtracted cDNA library is under construction. The above cDNAs, together with the publishedMIH sequence, will be used to develop the molecular assays for the investigation of the endocrine regulation ofreproduction, molting and growth.

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ALPHABETICAL LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Robert Aguilar, PO Box 28, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater,MD 21037; aguilarr@si.edu

Jennifer Ambler, OEAS, 4600 Elkhorn Ave, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529; jambler@odu.edu

John Ambrosio, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. Box 1, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL 33606; blkmanta@aol.com

Akira Asakura, 955-2 Aoba-cho, Natural History Museum Institute, Chiba, Chiba, JAPAN 2608682;asakura@chiba-muse.or.jp

Jelle Atema, Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, Woods Hole, MA O2543; atema@bu.edu

J. Antonio Baeza Migueles, Dept. Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA 70504-2451;jab9444@louisiana.edu

Russ Barbour, Dept. Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC 28403;decapodsrus@yahoo.com

Ruth Barratt, Advanced Bionutrition, 6430-C Dobbin Rd, Columbia, MD 21045;rbarrat@advancedbionutrition.com

Ray Bauer, Dept. Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA 70504-2451; rtbauer@louisiana.edu

Geoffrey Bell, MEAS Dept., Box 8208, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695;gwbell@unity.ncsu.edu

Lauren Bergey, Biological Sciences, 101 Warren St., Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102;lbergey@rutgers.edu

Renee Bishop, 120 Ridge View Drive, Penn State University-Worthington Scranton, Dunmore, PA 18512;reb20@psu.edu

Christopher Boyko, 30-44 34th St. #1F, American Museum of Natural History, Astoria, NY 11103;cboyko@amnh.org

Johanna Burnette, Dept. Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC28403;

Dave Camp, Editor, The Crustacean Society, 11990 68th Ave, Seminole, FL, 33772; tcsjcb@tampabay.rr.com

Ryan Carnegie, PO Box 1346, VIMS, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346; carnegie@vims.edu

Jerry Carpenter, Dept. Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099;carpenter@nku.edu

Kwan Ling Chan, Shatin N.T., Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;kwanling_chan@yahoo.com.hk

Benny Chan, Dept. Ecol. & Biodiversity, Pokfulam Road, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SARChina; chankk@hkucc.hku.hk

Michael Childress, Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634; mchildr@clemson.edu

John Christy, Unit 0948, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, APO, AA 34002; christyj@naos.si.edu

Ka Hou Chu, Shatin N.T., Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; kahouchu@cuhk.edu.hk

Neil Cumberlidge, Dept. Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI 49855; ncumberl@nmu.edu

Savel Daniels, Zoology Dept., University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa 7600; srd@sun.ac.az

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Glenn Davis, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Stevensville, MD 21666; GDavis@dnr.state.md.us

Larry DeLancey, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division, SC, 29412;delanceyl@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us

Richard Dillaman, North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403; dillamanr@uncw.edu

James Douglass, PO Box 1346, VIMS, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346; james@vims.edu

Emmett Duffy, PO Box 1346, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346;jeduffy@vims.edu

David Eggleston, Dept. Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695;

Charles Epifanio, Graduate College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE 19958;epi@udel.edu

Darryl Felder, PO Box 42451, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA 70504; dlf4517@louisiana.edu

Xiaojun Feng, 701 E. Pratt St., UMBI-Center for Marine Biotechnology, Baltimore, MD 21202;feng@umbi.umd.edu

John Fornshell, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. 20560-0163;

Michael Gable, 83 Windham St., Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CT 06226;gable@easternct.edu

Rebecca Gasca, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. 20560-0163;

Patrick Geer, One Conservation Way, Coastal Resources, Brunswick, GA 31520-8687;patrick_geer@coastal.dnr.state.ga.us

Paul Gerdes, PO Box 1346, VIMS, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346; arete@vims.edu

Henrik Glenner, Dept. Evol. Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark 2100;hglenner@zi.ku.dk

Terry Glover, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Bloomfield College, Bloomfield, NJ 07003;terry_glover@bloomfield.edu

Mark Grygier, Lake Biwa Museum, Oroshimo 1091, Kusatsu, Shiga, JAPAN 525-0001; grygier@lbm.go.jp

Rose Gulledge, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 163, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

Rob Gurney, CSIRO Castray Esplanade, Hobart, Australia 7001; robert.gurney@csiro.au

Tom Hansknecht, 8060 Cottage Hill Rd, Barry A. Vittor & Associates, Inc., Mobile, AL 36695-4122;bvataxa@bvaenviro.com

Barbara Hasek, PO Box 42451, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504; bhasek@louisiana.edu

Anson Hines, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037; hinesa@si.edu

Jens Høeg, Universitetsparken 15, Zoological Insitute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark DK-2730; jthøeg@zi.ku.dk

Karen Hudson, PO Box 1346, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346;khudson@vims.edu

Nozomu Iwasaki, Usa-cho, Usa Marine Biology Institute, Kochi University, Tosa, Kochi, Japan 781-1164;iwasakin@cc.kochi-u.ac.jp

Olaf Jensen, NOAA/NOS/NCCOS, 1305 East-West Highway, N/SCI 1, SSMC4, Rm. 8401, Silver Spring, MD20901; olaf.jensen@noaa.gov

Pamela Jensen, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, NMFS, Seattle, WA 98115; pam.jensen@noaa.gov

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Paul Jivoff, 2083 Lawrenceville Rd, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ 8648; pjivoff@rider.edu

Donald Johnson, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, MS39564; djohnson104@i-55.com

Eric Johnson, MEAS Dept., Box 8208, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695;egjohnso@unity.ncsu.edu

Michael Jones, Graduate College of Marine Studies, 213C Cannon Marine Studies Lab, University of Delaware,Lewes, DE 19958; mbjones@udel.edu

Anne Chris Jonkers, Mauritskade 57, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1090 GT;a.c.jonkers@student.rug.nl

Vic Kennedy, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, 904 S. Morris St., Oxford, MD 21654; kennedy@hpl.umces.edu

Brian Kensley, NHB-163, PO Box 37012, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;kensley.brian@nmnh.si.edu

Rachael King, Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center, MRRI, PO Box 12559, Charleston, SC 29422-2559;kingr@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us

Kevin Lafferty, USGS, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93116;lafferty@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Debra Lambert, PO Box 1346, VIMS, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346;

Kim Larsen, TAMU 3146, Texas A&M, College Station, TX 77840; tanaids@hotmail.com

Karen Lee, Biology Dept., University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Johnstown, PA 15904; ktlee@pitt.edu

Rafael Lemaitre, MRC-163, PO Box 37012, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;lemaitre.rafael@nmnh.si.edu

Xinzheng Li, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China 266071;lixzh@ms.qdio.ac.cn

Rom Lipcius, PO Box 1346, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346;rom@vims.edu

Sean Logan, 611 E. Porter St., Albion College, Albion, MI 49224; sl10@albion.edu

Saskia Marijnissen, Mauritskade 57, IBED University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;marijnissen@science.uva.nl

John Markham, 108 W. Markham Ave., Arch Cape Marine Laboratory, Arch Cape, OR 97102-0105;jmarkham@seasurf.com

Joel Martin, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA90007; jmartin@nhm.org

Robert Mayer, 135 Duke Marine Lab. Rd, Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC 28516;rjmayer@duke.edu

Dean McCurdy, 611 E. Porter St., Albion College, Albion, MI 49224; dmccurdy@albion.edu

Anne McMillen-Jackson, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Marine ResearchInstitute, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; anne.jackson@fwc.state.fl.us

Gretchen Messick, NOAA, National Ocean Service, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, Oxford, MD 21654;gretchen.messick@noaa.gov

Thomas Minello, National Marine Fisheries Service, Galveston Laboratory, Galveston, TX 77551;tom.minello@noaa.gov

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Marcel Montane, PO Box 1346, VIMS, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346; marcel@vims.edu

Elizabeth Nelson, MRC-163, PO Box 37012, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;nelson.elizabeth@nmnh.si.edu

Martha Nizinski, National Systematics Laboratory, NMFS, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, NHB, WC-57, MRC153, Washington, DC 20013-7012; nizinski.martha@nmnh.si.edu

Lana Ong, MRC-163, PO Box 37012, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;ong.lana@nmnh.si.edu

Karen Osborn, 7700 Sandholdt Rd., Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039;oska@mbari.org

Darren Parsons, MEAS Dept., Box 8208, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695;dmparson@unity.ncsu.edu

Allen Place, 701 E. Pratt St., UMBI-Center for Marine Biotechnology, Baltimore, MD 21202;place@umbi.umd.edu

David Poon, Pokfulam Road, HKSAR, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;dynpoon@graduate.hku.hk

Gary Poore, GPO Box 666E, Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3001;gpoore@musuem.vic.gov.au

Martin Posey, Center for Marine Science, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, UNC-Wilmington, Wilmington, NC28409;

Wayne Price, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. Box 1, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL 33606; wprice@ut.edu

Carolina Priester, Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC 28403-5915;cp8477@uncw.edu

Scott Quackenbush, 601 South College Rd, Dept. Biology, UNCW, Wilmington, NC 28403;quackenbushs@uncw.edu

Karen Reed, MRC-163, PO Box 37012, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;reed.karen@nmnh.si.edu

Jessica Reichmuth, 101 Warren St., Rutgers - Newark, Newark, NJ 07102; jreichmu@pegasus.rutgers.edu

Nathalie Reyns, 303 College Circle, Center for Marine Sciences, Morehead City, NC 28557;nbreyns@unity.ncsu.edu

Ruben Rios, PO Box 1346, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346;rubnrios@vims.edu

Dwayne Roberson, One Conservation Way, Coastal Resources, Brunswick, GA 31520-8687;dwayne_roberson@coastal.dnr.state.ga.us

Irene Teresa Rodriguez, PO Box 42451, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA 70504; itr6490@louisiana.edu

Antonio Rodriguez, 11510, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Puerto Real (Cádiz), Spain;antonio.rodriguez@icman.csic.es

Concepcion Rodriguez-Fourquet, Box 23360, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico OO936;manglar@prw.net

Michelle Rome, PO Box 28, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater,MD 21037; michrom@aol.com

Marilyn Schotte, NHB-163, PO Box 37012, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;schotte.marilyn@nmnh.si.edu

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Jessica Schulman Farrar, Versar, Inc., 9200 Rumsey Road, Columbia, MD 21045; farrarjes@versar.com

Mike Seebo, PO Box 1346, VIMS, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346; mseebo@vims.edu

Rochelle Seitz, PO Box 1346, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346;seitz@vims.edu

Jeffrey Shields, PO Box 1346, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346;jeff@vims.edu

Trisha Spears, Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1100; spears@bio.fsu.edu

Jesper Stenderup, Zoological Institute, 15 Universitetsparken, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,Denmark DK-2100; jtstenderup@zmuc.ku.dk

Bradley Stevens, Kodiak Fisheries Research Center, 301 Research Ct., Kodiak, AK 99615;bradley.g.stevens@noaa.gov

John Stubblefield, 701 E. Pratt St., UMBI-Center for Marine Biotechnology, Baltimore, MD 21202;stubblef@umbi.umd.edu

Eduardo Suarez-Morales, MRC-163, PO Box 37012, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;esuarez@ecosur-qroo.mx

Jennifer Taylor, CB#3280, Coker Hall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280;jataylor@email.unc.edu

Martin Thiel, Facultad Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Catolica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile 5651; thiel@ucn.cl

Eva Toth, PO Box 1346, VIMS, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346; etoth@vims.edu

John Trant, 701 E. Pratt St., COMB, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21202; trant@umbi.umd.edu

Brian Tsukimura, 2555 E. San Ramon Ave, MS#SB73, Dept. Biology, Fresno, CA 93740;briant@csufresno.edu

Christopher Tudge, Biology Dept., 4400 Massachussets Ave, NW, American University, Washington, DC20016-8007; ctudge@american.edu

Jacques van Montfrans, PO Box 1346, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062-1346;vanm@vims.edu

Jeff Walter, Biology Dept., University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Johnstown, PA 15904

Gary Wellborn, Dept. Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019; gwellborn@ou.edu

Elizabeth Wenner, Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, SC 29422; wennere@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us

Mary Wicksten, Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843;Wicksten@mail.bio.tamu.edu

Frank Wilhelm, Dept. Zoology, 1125 Lincoln Dr, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901-6501;fwilhelm@zoology.siu.edu

Donna Wolcott, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Marine Sciences North Carolina State University,Raleigh, NC 27695; dwolcott@ncsu.edu

Tom Wolcott, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Marine Sciences North Carolina State University, Raleigh,NC 27695; tom_wolcott@ncsu.edu

Odi Zamora, 701 E. Pratt St., UMBI-Center for Marine Biotechnology, Baltimore, MD 21202;zmorao@umbi.umd.edu

Yonathan Zohar, 701 E. Pratt St., Center for Marine Biotechnology, Baltimore, MD 21202-3101;zohar@umbi.umd.edu

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INDEX OF AUTHORS

Adams ....................................................................74Aguilar..............................................................16, 62Allen.................................................................56, 58Alphin...............................................................19, 58Ambrosio................................................................16Amft .......................................................................72Asakura ..................................................................17Atema .....................................................................17Baeza ......................................................................18Bakenhaster ............................................................58Barans.....................................................................72Barbour...................................................................19Barnes.....................................................................19Bauer ................................................................18, 20Bell .........................................................................20Bentzen...................................................................40Bergey ....................................................................21Bert.........................................................................53Bishop ....................................................................21Blanton ...................................................................72Boates.....................................................................52Bower .....................................................................23Boyko .....................................................................22Broders .............................................................22, 59Brown.....................................................................27Burcks ....................................................................28Burnette ............................................................22, 59Carnegie .................................................................23Carpenter ................................................................23Carver.....................................................................24Chan .................................................................24, 25Childress.................................................................25Christy....................................................................26Chu ...................................................................25, 69Collette ...................................................................28Colon......................................................................48Craige .....................................................................43Crawford ................................................................27Culver.....................................................................70Cumberlidge...........................................................26Daniels..............................................................27, 33Davis ................................................................27, 74Delancey...........................................................28, 72Diaz ........................................................................68Dillaman...........................................................28, 59Dittel.......................................................................30Donaldson ..............................................................66Douglass.................................................................29Duffy ................................................................29, 69

Eggleston..............................................20, 30, 42, 60Epifanio ............................................................30, 42Etherington .............................................................30Farrar ......................................................................63Fasano.....................................................................59Fegley .....................................................................27Felder................................................................36, 60Feng........................................................................56Ferrari .....................................................................35Findiesen ................................................................74Forbes .....................................................................52Fornshell.................................................................31Forward ............................................................51, 52Garvey ......................................................................9Gasca ......................................................................31Gay ...................................................................28, 59Geer ........................................................................32Geiger .....................................................................21Gerdes.....................................................................32Glenner .......................................................33, 38, 66Glover.....................................................................21Goddard..............................................................9, 45Goodison ................................................................62Gouws.....................................................................33Grap........................................................................43Grewe .....................................................................36Grygier .......................................................34, 35, 70Gulledge .................................................................35Gurney........................................................31, 36, 45Hamer .....................................................................27Hans........................................................................28Hansknecht .............................................................36Harvey ....................................................................22Harwell ...................................................................58Hasek......................................................................36Heard ......................................................................58Heib ........................................................................70Henry......................................................................36Hines.........................................16, 24, 37, 43, 62, 74Hinojosa .................................................................68Høeg .................................................................37, 38Hoenig ..............................................................45, 54Hopkins ..................................................................38Huys .......................................................................38Iwasaki ...................................................................39Jenkins..............................................................28, 72Jensen ...............................................................39, 40Jivoff.......................................................................41Johnson.................................................30, 41, 42, 46

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Jones.......................................................................42Jonkers..............................................................43, 49Kier.........................................................................67Killen......................................................................28King............................................................43, 44, 73Knott.................................................................72, 73Komai.....................................................................47Kramer....................................................................16Kravitz....................................................................44Kristensen...............................................................38Kuris.......................................................................45Lafferty...................................................................45Lambert ............................................................45, 48Larsen.....................................................................46Lee..........................................................................46Lemaitre .................................................................47Li ...........................................................................47Lipcius.......................... 16, 32, 45, 48, 54, 63, 64, 71Lipman ...................................................................74Logan......................................................................49Long .................................................................48, 72López......................................................................61Lowder ...................................................................59Lui ..........................................................................52Lützen.....................................................................33Maddox ..................................................................28Marijnissen.......................................................43, 49Markham ................................................................50Marques..................................................................50Martin.........................................................18, 51, 58Mautner ..................................................................52Mayer ...............................................................51, 52McCurdy ..........................................................49, 52McKenna ................................................................30McLaughlin ......................................................17, 47McMillen-Jackson..................................................53Messick ..................................................................53Metcalf ...................................................................71Meyer .....................................................................23Michel ....................................................................49Miller................................................................39, 40Minello ...................................................................54Møbjerg..................................................................38Montane......................................................45, 54, 63Mori........................................................................59Moyer .....................................................................28Murphey .............................................................9, 45Nalepa ....................................................................53Nelson ....................................................................35Nickens...................................................................19Nizinski ..................................................................55Olesen.....................................................................66

Ong .........................................................................35Orth...................................................................63, 71Osborn ....................................................................56Overstreet ...............................................................53Pashuk ....................................................................72Perovich..................................................................30Perry .......................................................................41Place .......................................................................56Poon........................................................................57Poore.................................................................44, 57Posey ................................................................19, 58Price..................................................................16, 58Priester..............................................................28, 59Quackenbush ....................................................22, 59Reavis .....................................................................28Reed............................................................19, 26, 35Reichmuth ..............................................................21Reyns......................................................................60Rodríguez .........................................................60, 61Rodríguez-Fourquet................................................61Rogers.....................................................................27Rome ......................................................................62Ross ........................................................................55Rudnick ..................................................................70Sabat .......................................................................61Schotte....................................................................62Schulman Farrar .....................................................63Seebo ....................................................45, 48, 63, 64Segars .....................................................................28Seitz..................................................................48, 64Seppelt ....................................................................39Shank......................................................................51Shields ..............................................................64, 65Shirley ....................................................................66Small.......................................................................65Spears .....................................................................65Stenderup................................................................66Steven ...............................................................56, 74Stevens ...................................................................66Stewart....................................................................33Stockhausen............................................................48Strasser ...................................................................16Stubblefield ............................................................74Suárez-Morales .................................................31, 67Sulak.......................................................................55Sullivan...................................................................28Swann .....................................................................27Takahashi ...............................................................33Tandberg.................................................................66Taylor ...............................................................67, 74Terwin ....................................................................37Thiel .................................................................18, 68

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Thornton.................................................................73Thrush ....................................................................37Torchin ...................................................................45Tóth ........................................................................69Tovar ......................................................................67Trant .......................................................................75Tsoi.........................................................................69Tsukimura ..............................................................70Tudge......................................................................50Tullis ......................................................................70Urawa .....................................................................70van Montfrans ........................................................71Van Stappen ...........................................................51Vanderploeg ...........................................................53Vannini...................................................................26Veldhuizen .............................................................70Venarsky ................................................................74Walstrum................................................................27

Walter .....................................................................46Webster...................................................................28Weis........................................................................21Wellborn.................................................................71Wenner .......................................................28, 72, 73Whitaker .................................................................28Wicksten.................................................................73Wilde ......................................................................72Wilhelm..................................................................74Williams .................................................................74Wolcott ...........................................16, 20, 24, 37, 38Wynne ....................................................................38Yager ......................................................................23Yong Wang ............................................................69Young-Williams .....................................................62Zmora ...............................................................74, 75Zohar ......................................................................74