As a part of a broader effort to determine the status of Paragonimus species infection in Lao PDR, an epidemiological survey was conducted on villagers and schoolchildren in Namback District between 2003 and 2005. Among 308 villagers and 633 primary and secondary schoolchildren, 156 villagers and 92 children evidenced a positive reaction on a Paragonimus skin test. Only 4 schoolchildren out of ...

abstract the present work aims to determine fauna and abundance of hermit crabs in the southern qeshm island. for these aims, after preview of coastal zone, eight stations were selected in the intertidal zones of southern qeshm island. sampling in these stations was conducted during the dec. 2013. totally, 605 specimens of hermit crabs were studied and calculated. for identification and accurat...

Land hermit crabs are common in many insular and coastal habitats in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide (Hartnoll, 1988; Greenaway, 2003). Some species, such as Coenobita clypeatus (Herbst), may be found many kilometres inland (Chace & Hobbs, 1969; DeWilde, 1973; NievesRivera & Williams, 2003). However, relatively few studies have addressed the densities of land hermit crabs, their ecol...

What are fiddler crabs? Fiddler crabs belong to the genus Uca. They are members of the ocypodid family of brachyuran crabs, the most recent marine animals to have invaded land. They spend the first part of their life as aquatic plankton and only settle in the intertidal zone after their last larval moult. Adults live in burrows on intertidal mudand sand-flats within dense, mixedage, mixed-sex a...

The discovery of a reo-like virus in cultures of the mud crab Scylla serrata (Forsskål, 1755) is reported here. Since May 2004, in Zhejiang Province, Peoples Republic of China, reo-like virus in mud crabs has reached serious epidemic levels, causing mortality rates exceeding 90%. Beginning in May 2004, moribund crabs from different districts and areas were investigated. By using electron micros...

We manipulated predator densities and prey vulnerability to explore how interactions between two predators affect overall mortality of their shared prey. Our three-member study system included eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and two of its major consumers: southern oyster drills (Stramonita haemastoma) and stone crabs (Menippe adina). Field experiments demonstrated that drills and crabs...

Contesting animals typically gather information about the resource value and that information affects fight motivation. However, it is possible that particular resource characteristics alter the ability to fight independently of the motivation. Using hermit crabs, we investigate how the resource in terms of shell quality affects both motivation and ability to fight. These crabs fight for shells...

Foraging fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) monitor the location of, and are able to return to, their burrows by employing path integration. This requires them to accurately measure both the directions and distances of their locomotory movements. Even though most fiddler crabs inhabit relatively flat terrain, they must cope with vertical features of their environment, such as sloping beaches, mounds and ...

In North Carolina, the decorator crab Libinia dubia camouflages almost exclusively with the chemically noxious alga Dictyota menstrualis. By placing this alga on its carapace, the crab behaviorally sequesters the defensive chemicals of the plant and gains protection from omnivorous consumers. However, Dictyota is absent north of North Carolina, whereas Libinia occurs as far north as New England...