Abstract
The series of experiments that comprise this thesis used shell fights in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus as a model system to address the proximate physiological and whole-organism correlates of contest behaviour. These correlates of fighting ability ranged from the metal ions magnesium (Mg2+) and calcium (Ca2+), through respiratory pigments and muscular proteins to whole-organism performance capacities and behavioural syndromes. This broad-spectrum approach thus allowed the study of a suite of mechanisms which may influence agonistic behaviour and fighting ability.
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Date
2009
Recommended Citation
Mowles, S. (2009) Physiological and whole-body correlates of contest behaviour in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. Thesis. University of Plymouth. Retrieved from https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/fose-theses-other/62
