Ocypodid behavior and ecology in Panama

招潮蟹大多分布于热带，在新大陆具有高度发达的社会行为。为了明确它们的社会行为与生存或繁殖成功之间的关系，以及它们的颜色模式、形态和社会信号的生物学意义，我们在巴拿马罗德曼的潮滩和纳奥斯岛的海岸研究了它们的求偶、取食和捕食行为。1)我们测量了雄性音乐招潮蟹从洞穴向雌性求偶的发声时间。我们认为，交配雌虫卵巢成熟的程度不同的声音产生的长度。2)雄性招潮蟹的挥手也是一种求偶行为。我们测量了血淋巴中的乳酸水平，以显示挥手所消耗的能量。挥手使血乳酸增加。在活动开始前，血淋巴中葡萄糖含量处于较高水平，在挥动频率较高的雄性中，血淋巴中葡萄糖含量继续保持较高水平，而在挥动频率较低的雄性中，血淋巴中葡萄糖含量下降。3)雄性比氏招潮蟹对雌性比氏招潮蟹的捕食率较高。我们研究了它与性选择的关系。4)巴拿马招潮蟹生活在博尔德海岸。我们发现它们几乎以海岸的岩石为食，它们小螯肢上的厚毛有助于在岩石上拾取食物。5)在新大陆，有两个已知的属，但在印度-西太平洋有超过13个属。罗德曼两属的种类分布于印度-西太平洋地区所有的沙蟹科种类栖息地。

Most fiddler crab species distribute in the tropics and have highly developed social behaviors in the new world. To make clear a relation between their social behavior and the survivorship or reproductive success, and the biological meaning of their color pattern, morphology and social signals, we studied their courtship, feeding and predation by grackles in a tidal flat of Rodman and in shore of Naos Island in Panama. 1) We measured the time length of sound production by male Uca musica which sound to court females from their burrow. We suggested that the degree of ovary maturation of mating females varies the length of sound production. 2) Waving by male Uca beebei is also a type of courtship behavior. We measured a level of lactate in hemolymph to show an energy cost spend by waving. Waving increased the blood lactate. Glucose in hemolymph was at high level before their activity started, and the higher level continued in males with a higher rate of waving, but the level decreased in males with a lower rate of waving. 3) Male Uca beebei have higher rate of predation by grackles in the female. We studied it in a relation with the sexual selection. 4) Uca panamensis live in boulder shore. We showed that they almost feed on rocks in the shore and that thick hairs on their small chela are useful to pick up food on the rock. 5) Two genera are known in the family Ocypodidae in the new world, but more than 13 genera in the Indo-West Pacific. Species of the two genera in Rodman were found in all type of habitats occupied by species of Ocypodidae in the Indo-West Pacific.