Impacts of toxic red tide algae Karenia brevis on shell selection behavior of the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus

Abstract

Eutrophication and global climate change may be increasing the duration and severity of Karenia brevis red tide algal blooms around the world. This is problematic, as the brevetoxins released by K. brevis negatively impact many organisms' neurological capabilities. In this study, we sought to determine the effects of K. brevis on aspects of the shell selection behavior of the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus. Naked and shelled hermit crabs were pre-exposed to either control artificial seawater or to suspensions of K. brevis (1000 cells ml−1 or 5000 cells ml−1) for either 1 or 3 h, and were then moved to an individual container with either the same respective K. brevis suspension or artificial..