Fiddle Crab (NSTC 113-2621-B-002-001-MY3)
Fiddle Crab (NSTC 113-2621-B-002-001-MY3)
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Space is a necessary resource for every organism. It commonly intertwines with the idea of resource distribution as species/individuals compete for either literally the ‘living space’ or the ‘resources within a certain spatial range’. Changes in habitat can thus impose on population persistence through reshuffling these available resources in the environment. Overall, we aim to explore how habitat alteration affects animal reproduction though functionally interfering with the process of female mate choice and male-male competition.
We consider fiddler crabs as an ideal system to adress this topic given their wide distribution across different environemtnal gradient and diverse behavioral repertoire.
The association between signal design and the environmental complexity
The illustration of our three study sites: Shengang, Hanbao, & Waziwei
Information represents a powerful resource in not only the human society, but also the animal kingdom. In this project, we wonder how individuals obtain information and generate adequate responses when signals are modified by the environment during transmission? Fiddler crabs are ideal to study animal communication as they heavily rely on visual signals and cues in their daily lives. They are widely distributed across different types of intertidal habitat.
In this project, we specifically address how signal variation promotes species communication efficacy across different environmental gradients, and how this process further contributes to individual fitness and local adaptation. We implement a combination of approach, including field observation, experimental manipulation, digital image analyses, and robotic crab device, to examine the variation in signal conspicuousness across different environments.
Analyze the body color of crabs using an UV camera attached with the visible light filter (left) and UV light filter (right)
Record courtship effort of male fiddler crabs
Record courtship effort of male fiddler crabs
Document the environmental color and habitat structure
Document the environmental color and habitat structure
Evolution of complex mating signals
Evolution of complex mating signals
Fiddler crabs live in mix-species colonies and are known to use multiple signals to exchange information. What are the cost and benefit to convey information using multiple signals? How are these signals evolved? We examine several functional hypotheses that explain ecological and evolutionary mechanisms driving the evolution of multiple mating signals. Using the integrated approach of robotic crab experiments and behavioral observation, we aim to disentangle the relationship between signal design and function. Ultimately, we hope to contribute to better comprehending the evolutionary process of signal diversification.
This is a interdisciplinary project collaborating with Prof. Feng-Li Lian at Dept. Electrical Engineering, NTU and Prof. Ming-Li Jiang at Dept. Electrical Engineering, NYOU.
Interested in doing fancy robotic crab experiment? Contact us for more information!
Evolution of mating preference
Evolution of mating preference
Female preference refers to a choosing bias toward certain male traits. During mate choice, females may form the mating decisions based on either a pre-existing, absolute preference or by the comparing a group of potential mates and selecting the male of highest quality. While comparative mate evaluation is widely recognized in nature and constitutes the basis of sexual selection (e.g., the evolution of secondary sexual traits), this does not exclude the possibility that females hold innate preferences when choosing their mating partners. In this project, we aim to investigate the evolution of female preference by understanding whether and how it changes in different ecological and environmental conditions.
Intertidal burrows and thermoregulation
The diversity, abundance, and environmental interactions of organisms collectively shape the ecological functions and services provided by natural habitats. Intertidal ecosystems are increasingly recognized as critical conservation priorities in the context of climate change due to their essential roles in carbon storage and blue carbon transport. Organisms inhabiting these zones—situated at the boundary between land and sea—experience rapidly fluctuating environmental conditions and are therefore highly sensitive to climatic shifts. As a result, they serve as effective bioindicators for detecting and assessing climate-change impacts across both marine and terrestrial systems.
Image by 林敬峰
The behavior and activity patterns of many intertidal organisms are tightly linked to burrow structure and temperature. Burrows function as thermal refuges, offering microhabitat conditions necessary for regulating body temperature. Time spent inside burrows generally increases as surface temperatures rise (Chou et al. 2019a)(Figure 1).
The number of males on the surface of the mudflat at different times of day in the sun and shade microhabitats
In burrowing crabs, for example, females exhibit temperature- and tide-dependent burrow preferences that strongly influence larval hatching success (Chou et al. 2019b). Beyond serving as shelters, burrows also modify local thermal environments: compared with exposed mudflats, burrowed substrates remain cooler, and temperatures within burrows are more stable than those of the surrounding air.
The effect of temperature on fertilization (A) and hatching success (B).
In this project, we aim to investigate the ecological and evolutionary significance of burrowing behavior in intertidal organisms. Ultimately, our goal is to use this knowledge to better predict how the ecological functions performed by these species contribute to broader ecosystem services within intertidal habitats.
Team of Fiddle Crab
Team of Fiddle Crab
Arata Nakayama 中山新
Arata Nakayama 中山新
Chieh-Li Wang 王介立
Chieh-Li Wang 王介立
Yu-Jia Wong 黃語佳
Yu-Jia Wong 黃語佳
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