Epibiosis in deep-sea crab populations as indicator of biological and behavioural characteristics of the host

Abstract

Incidence of epibiosis has been studied in the deep-water portunid crab Bathynectes piperitus in the Benguela upwelling region. The serpulid polychaete Spirorbis cf. patagonicus , the hydroid Stegopoma plicatile and the stalked cirripede Poecilasma kaempferi were the commonest epizoitic species. Analysis revealed some biological and ecological features of the host population: the species does not have a terminal moult; both sexes show different moulting patterns; sexual maturity occurs at around 35 mm carapace length; there is asynchronous moulting among different sub-populations in different geographical areas; burying behaviour appears to be not very widespread.