A unique form of light re ̄ector and the evolution of signalling in Ovalipes (Crustacea: Decapoda: Portunidae)
نویسندگان
چکیده
The ¢rst demonstration, to our knowledge, of an evolutionary shift in communication mode in animals is presented. Some species of Ovalipes display spectacular iridescence resulting from multilayer re£ectors in the cuticle. This re£ector is unique in animals because each layer is corrugated and slightly out of phase with adjacent layers. Solid layers are separated from £uid layers in the re£ector by side branches acting as support struts. An e¡ect of this re£ector is that blue light is re£ected over a `broad' angle around a plane parallel to the sea £oor when the host crab is resting. Species of Ovalipes all possess stridulatory structures. The shallow-water species with the best developed stridulatory structures are non-iridescent and use sound as a signal. Deep-water species possess poorly developed stridulatory structures and display iridescence from most regions of the body. In deep water, where incident light is blue, light display is highly directional in contrast to sound produced via stridulation. Sound and light display probably perform the same function of sexual signalling in Ovalipes, although the directional signal is less likely to attract predators. Deep-water species of Ovalipes appear to have evolved towards using light in conspeci¢c signalling. This change from using sound to using light re£ects the change in habitat light properties, perhaps the hunting mechanisms of cohabitees, and its progression is an indicator of phylogeny. The changes in sexual signalling mechanisms, following spatial^geographical isolation, may have promoted speciation in Ovalipes.
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تاریخ انتشار 1998