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Habitat use by the gnathiid isopod Elaphognathia discolor living in terebellid polychaete tubes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2008

Katsuhiko Tanaka  and
Eijiroh Nishi
Katsuhiko Tanaka*
Affiliation:
Environmental Science Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 1646 Abiko, Abiko-shi, Chiba-ken 270-1194, Japan
Eijiroh Nishi
Affiliation:
Manazuru Marine Laboratory, Yokohama National University, Manazuru, Kanagawa 259-0202, Japan
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Katsuhiko TanakaEnvironmental Science Research Laboratory Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry1646 Abiko, Abiko-shi Chiba-ken 270-1194Japan email: ktanaka@criepi.denken.or.jp
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Abstract

The pattern of habitat utilization by Elaphognathia discolor, a gnathiid isopod inhabiting terebellid polychaete tubes, was examined in bimonthly samples taken between June 2003 and April 2004 from Shizugawa Bay, north-eastern Japan. Nine species of terebellid polychaetes were obtained, and gnathiids were found in tubes of four terebellid species. Of the terebellids, Nicolea gracilibranchis was collected in each sample, while the other species were obtained only intermittently. Both larval and adult E. discolor inhabited the tubes of N. gracilibranchis throughout the year, with their prevalence in samples ranging from 57.1 to 80.0%. A large range of larval stages was found within N. gracilibranchis tubes, including the first larval stage and premature females, suggesting that this gnathiid species may use N. gracilibranchis tubes for resting and moulting throughout the larval period. The distribution of adult gnathiids within tubes significantly differed from random. Adult males rarely coexisted with other males in tubes, while several larvae and females often lived together. Groups of female gnathiids in polychaete tubes were usually attended by a single male, resembling the ‘harems’ observed in other gnathiids and suggesting that the mating system of E. discolor can be classified as semelparous harem polygynandry.

Keywords

gnathid isopodterebellid polychaetehabitat utilizationharem formation
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Issue 1 , February 2008 , pp. 57 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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