title: Ontogenetic change of body color patterns in laboratory-raised juveniles of six terrestrial hermit crab species.
abstract: We examined the ontogenetic change of body color patterns in the laboratory-raised juveniles of six terrestrial hermit crab species, including Birgus latro, Coenobita brevimanus, C. cavipes, C. purpureus, C. rugosus, and C. violascens, which commonly occur in the southern islands, Japan. The body color patterns of coenobitid juveniles were species-specific. The diagnostic features of body color patterns enable identification of juveniles of coenobitid crab species in the wild, thereby helping to understand the precise habitats of each coenobitid species.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Konan, Minato, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan. hamak@kaiyodai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamasaki
authors.forename: Takuma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuru
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanda
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujikawa
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dan
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D033381:Anomura; D017753:Ecosystem; D007564:Japan; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Crustacea, Birgus latro, coconut crab, Coenobita, land hermit crab, coenobitid, habitat