Oxygen Uptake during Environmental Temperature Change in Hermit Crabs: Adaptation to Subtidal, Intertidal, and Supratidal Habitats

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Abstract
Changes in oxygen uptake in response to stepwise changes in environmental temperature have been measured in anomuran decapod Crustacea inhabiting a subtidal habitat (Paguristes turgidus, Elassochirus tenuimanus), an intertidal habitat (Pagurus granusimanus, Pagurus hirsutisculus) and a supratidal habitat (Coenobita clypeatus, Coenobita rugosus). Individuals of each species were housed in respirometers and subjected to three rapid, progressive 5 C increases above their initial acclimation temperature, with (μM O₂/g/h) measured during a 2-3-h pause at each temperature increment. The for is correlated with habitat, with intertidal species having a of 1.4-1.6, which is significantly lower (P < .05) when compared with values of 2.1-2.4 for subtidal species and 2.6-2.7 for the supratidal forms. Intertidal hermit crabs also showed a smaller overshoot and a more rapid acclimation to abrupt temperature change compared with the other anomurans. Intertidal anomuran Crustacea are apparently adapted to maintain a comparatively stable oxygen uptake in a habitat subject to considerable variability in temperature.