The plastic homes of hermit crabs in the Anthropocene.
Sci Total Environ
; 913: 168959, 2024 Feb 25.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38185570
ABSTRACT
Plastic is the most pervasive element of marine waste, with harmful impact on wildlife. By using iEcology (i.e., internet Ecology, use of online data sources as a new tool in ecological research), we report on the emergence of a novel behaviour in hermit crabs related to the use of plastic or other anthropogenic materials as protective shells. We analysed images posted on social media to identify 386 individuals with artificial shells - mainly plastic caps (85 %). We report that 10 of the world's 16 terrestrial hermit crabs use artificial shells, a behaviour observed on all of the Earth's tropical coasts. Four non-exclusive mechanisms may drive individual choice for artificial shells sexual signaling, lightness of artificial shells, odour cues, and camouflage in a polluted environment. Further research is needed to determine the impact of this behaviour on hermit crab evolutionary trajectories.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Anomuros
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Total Environ
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
Pais de publicación:
Países Bajos