Biology:Gonodactylus chiragra

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Short description: Species of crustacean

Gonodactylus chiragra
Gonodactylus chiragra.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Stomatopoda
Family: Gonodactylidae
Genus: Gonodactylus
Species:
G. chiragra
Binomial name
Gonodactylus chiragra
(Fabricius, 1781)
Synonyms

Squilla chiragra Fabricius, 1781

Gonodactylus chiragra is a medium to large mantis shrimp that is distributed widely throughout the West Indo-Pacific.

Taxonomy

The synonymy of G. chiragra remains unclear because all members of Gonodactylus have been confused with G. chiragra at some point.[1] This species also displays a large amount of variation, which has made classification even more difficult.[2] Newer research by Manning has resulted in the discovery of several new species that were previously thought to be G. chiragra.[3]

Description

The species typically grows to a maximum length of 105 millimetres and is sexually dimorphic.[4] Males range in color from brown to a dark green, and females from a grey/green to white.[5]

Claws

All mantis shrimp (stomatopods) are either spearers or smashers. G. chiragra is a smasher, which means that the heel on their second pair of thoracic appendages is greatly enlarged, forming a club that is used to smash prey.[6] When a target is spotted, G. chiragra strike powerfully and quickly in one of the quickest punches in all of nature.[7] Common targets for eating are snails, hermit crabs, and clams, but bigger animals are sometimes targeted such as mollusks and other crustaceans.[8] G. chiragra are one of the largest smashers and employ a unique fighting strategy in which they circle around the target and aim at the head.[6] This is thought to have developed as a result of intense competition for suitable burrows among stomatopods.[6]

The species is considered one of the most aggressive species of mantis shrimp and when in captivity, routinely strike glass walls and air tubes in the aquarium.[1]

Eyes

Seeing underwater is very different because in the ambient light there is strong spectral variations that affect color vision.[9] The eyes of G. chiragra are some of the most unique in all of the animal world because they are sensitive to linear polarization.[10] Living underwater, this provides many benefits to them including increased contrast enhancement, ability to see polarization reflecting prey, and better navigation among the light-scattered ocean environment.[10]

The eyes themselves are large stalked apposition compound eyes and have two defining features that affect their complexity.[10] First is their rotational ability; the eyes move completely independent of each other and one eye only is enough for catching prey.[11] Second is the presence of a midband, a large strip of specialized ommatidia (clusters of photoreceptor cells) that divides each eye equally into two segments.[12] The midband contains specialized polarization receptors in rows five and six. In row 2D, photoreceptors have unidirectional microvilli, which makes them sensitive to linear polarized light.[10] The midband is also responsible for binocular distant vision.[11]

Although their eyes are incredibly complex among animals, G. chiragra are one of the few species of mantis shrimp that do not have polarized body markings.[10] This offers them one less form of communication, and it is thought that evolution of deadly weapons (see "Claws" above) was preferred to body signals because of their restricted habitat.[10]

Distribution and habitat

The species is widely distributed in the western Indo-Pacific.[3] It occurs in shallow water in the upper intertidal zone around boulders and coral heads where prey is available.[13] G. chiragra are burrowers, but usually do not construct their own shelters. Instead, they inhibit rocky cavities that are either natural or created by other animals such as mollusks.[1] However, they are equipped to erode the material of the burrow so that it perfectly fits their body shape.[1] Burrows serve many purposes, including protection, lookouts for finding prey, consuming prey, mating, and keeping eggs safe.[1] G. chiragra are active during the day and often close off the entrance to their shelter at night using bits of sand and rocks.[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Manning, R.B. (1981). "Stomatopod Crustacea of Vietnam: the legacy of Raoul Serène". Crustacean Research, Special 4: 71–75. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/crustacea/Special1995/4/Special1995_KJ00003262844/_pdf/-char/en. 
  2. ↑ Gardiner, J, ed (1903). "Marine Crustaceans. VIII. Stomatopoda, with an account of the varities of Gonodactylus chiragra". The fauna and geography of the Maldive and Laccadive archipelagoes. 1. Cambridge University Press. pp. 444–445. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/40798#page/120/mode/1up. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Moosa, Mohammad (2000). "Marine Biodiversity of the South China Sea: A Checklist of Stomatopod Crustacea". The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 8: 420. http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/exanambas/rbzs8-scs/pdf/s08rbz405-457.pdf. 
  4. ↑ "Gonodactylus chiragra". https://www.sealifebase.ca/summary/Gonodactylus-chiragra.html. 
  5. ↑ Ahyong, Shane (2001). "Revision of the Australian Stomatopod Crustacea". Records of the Australian Museum 26: 67–71. https://media.australian.museum/media/Uploads/Journals/17907/1333_complete.pdf. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Caldwell, Roy L.; Dingle, Hugh (1976). "Stomatopods". Scientific American 234 (1): 80–89. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0176-80. Bibcode: 1976SciAm.234a..80C. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/24950262.pdf. 
  7. ↑ Schiff, H (1989). "Visual input patterns correlated to behavior and habitat of the mantis shrimp Gonodactylus". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology 94: 75–87. doi:10.1016/0300-9629(89)90788-3. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Caldwell, Roy. "Gonodactylus Chiragra". https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/species.php?name=g_chiragra. 
  9. ↑ Loew, E.R.; Lythgoe, J. (1985). "The ecology of color vision". Endeavor 9 (4): 170–174. doi:10.1016/0160-9327(85)90073-0. PMID 2419110. https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/0160932785900730?token=D0C4E3680DABC879D79B549EC2EC35BAA0097FF63C661D61B4380BB824BEC95FF69FB9DD6360AB6BA9C03313FE67F177. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Kleinlogel, S; Marshall, J. (2006). "Electrophysiological evidence for linear polarization sensitivity in the compound eyes of the stomatopod crustacean Gonodactylus chiragra". The Journal of Experimental Biology 209 (21): 4262–4272. doi:10.1242/jeb.02499. PMID 17050841. https://jeb.biologists.org/content/jexbio/209/21/4262.full.pdf. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Schiff, Helga (2009). "Influence of different eye regions on striking, size discrimination and habituation in mantis shrimps". Italian Journal of Zoology 63 (2): 139–148. doi:10.1080/11250009609356122. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/11250009609356122. 
  12. ↑ Marshall, J; Cronin, T; Kleinlogel, S. (2007). "Stomatopod eye structure and function: A review". Arthropod Structure and Development 36 (4): 420–448. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2007.01.006. PMID 18089120. https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1467803907000126?token=570FE393448EBE94392219454C6A05D37103CC08F588B62F7B306B2D2DFC620E7F6082DB1FCBDE713DB72AB21A55A92B. 
  13. ↑ Ahyong, Shane (2004). "Stomatopod Crustacea from Anambas and Natuna Islands, South China Sea, Indonesia". The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 11: 62. https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/app/uploads/2017/06/s11rbz061-066.pdf. 

External links

  • Photos of G chiragra on Roy's List of Stomatopods for the Aquarium
  • Video demonstrating the quickness of G. chiragra

Wikidata ☰ Q13645865 entry



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