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Pinnixa chaetopterana
tube pea crab
Pinnixa chaetopterana is a small, soft-bodied pea crab that lives symbiotically within the tubes of polychaete worms, primarily Chaetopterus variopedatus. It is a facultative commensal, occasionally free-living or associating with alternative hosts such as Amphitrite ornata. The species exhibits strong host fidelity and can distinguish conspecifics from heterospecifics. It ranges from Massachusetts to Uruguay along the western Atlantic, including Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico.
commensal symbiosis polychaete-association pea-crab western-Atlantic facultative-symbiont carcinonemertid-parasite host-fidelity conspecific-recognition zoeal-larvae tube-dwelling marine-invertebrate brachyuran-crab pinnotherid Chaetopterus zooplankton-larva mutual-intolerance polychaete-crab nemertean-parasite synchronous-reproduction-with-parasite caltrop-shaped-carapace branchial-chamber-parasite pleopod-egg-attachment host-tube-modification estuarine coastal-marine depth-to-60m Massachusetts-to-Brazil Gulf-of-Mexico Florida North-Carolina New-Jersey Uruguay Stimpson-1860 Tubicolixa-synonym soft-bodied-crab wider-than-long-carapace five-zoeal-stages dorsal-rostral-lateral-spines abdominal-somite-knobs wing-like-knobs median-notch-telson Amphitrite-ornata-alternative-host posterior-positioning-behavior tube-aperture-biting plankton-feeding predator-refuge Carcinonemertes-pinnotheridophila ribbon-worm-parasite synchronous-egg-development host-parasite-egg-competition branchial-exoskeleton-attachment excurrent-canal-opening female-1-2-nemerteans male-nemerteans-associated medial-sheath-attachment sternum-opening nemertean-egg-sacs crab-egg-hairs facultative-free-living obligate-vs-facultate-commensalism host-specificity symbiont-recognition heterospecific-avoidance limb-tearing-aggression co-occurrence-exclusion morphological-crypsis adult-identification-difficulty larval-dispersal settlement-behavior tube-worm-crab parchment-tube-inhabitant ventilated-tube-dwelling water-pumping-utilization host-turning-response symbiont-positioning entry-exit-hole-creation behavioral-plasticity ecological-flexibility host-range-expansion alternative-host-use geographic-range depth-range Atlantic-coast-distribution western-hemisphere-endemic American-Atlantic-fauna benthic-crustacean infaunal-associate sediment-tube-dweller marine-symbiosis decapod-brachyuran eubrachyuran thoracotreme pinnotheroid pinnixine tubicolixine species-complex-member cryptic-species-candidate morphological-similarity taxonomic-revision-needed type-locality-unknown 1860-description Stimpson's-pea-crab historical-taxonomy modern-synonymy Catalogue-of-Life-synonym GBIF-Tubicolixa-match genus-transfer-candidate subgeneric-classification infraspecific-variation sexual-dimorphism-unknown male-gonopod-diagnostic female-pleopod-brooding ovigerous-female-parasite-load nemertean-prevalence-unknown incidence-data-limited biological-relationship-documentation symbiont-life-history-synchronization reproductive-timing-overlap egg-development-coordination hatching-synchrony larval-release-coordination population-dynamics-unknown demography-unstudied growth-rate-unknown longevity-unknown mortality-factors-unknown predation-pressure predator-avoidance tube-refuge-value structural-habitat-modification engineering-behavior niche-construction host-damage tube-wall-perforation host-fitness-effects-unknown commensalism-cost-benefit mutualism-possibility parasitism-gradient symbiosis-continuum interaction-outcome-variability environmental-context-dependency host-quality-variation host-size-correlation crab-size-host-size-relationship settlement-cue-unknown larval-settlement-behavior metamorphosis-trigger competency-period pre-settlement-swimming post-settlement-adaptation host-recognition-mechanism chemical-cue-use tactile-cue-use host-tube-chemistry-detection conspecific-chemical-detection heterospecific-chemical-detection aggression-trigger territorial-behavior resource-defense host-monopolization pair-formation mating-system-unknown sex-ratio-unknown operational-sex-ratio mate-guarding-unknown sperm-competition-unknown fertilization-mode internal-fertilization egg-brooding-duration embryonic-development-time larval-development-mode planktotrophic-larvae lecithotrophy-unknown zoeal-feeding zoeal-duration megalopa-stage-unknown settlement-competence juvenile-adaptation host-tube-colonization subadult-behavior size-at-maturity-unknown molting-frequency-unknown ecdysis-in-host-tube exuvia-disposal grooming-behavior-unknown feeding-mechanism suspension-feeding filter-feeding plankton-capture host-current-use respiratory-current-exploitation oxygen-availability hypoxia-tolerance salinity-tolerance temperature-range-unknown physiological-ecology-studied oxygen-consumption-unknown metabolic-rate-unknown energetics-unknown growth-efficiency-unknown reproductive-effort-unknown fecundity-unknown egg-size-unknown offspring-size-number-tradeoff parental-investment maternal-care brooding-cost parasite-load-cost nemertean-reproduction-facilitation host-egg-loss parasite-egg-competition hatching-success-reduction fitness-consequence-unknown population-level-impact-unknown community-role-unknown trophic-position-unknown energy-flow-contribution nutrient-cycling-role sediment-interaction bioturbation-unknown ecosystem-engineering-secondary habitat-complexity-contribution biodiversity-association species-interaction-network food-web-position predator-unknown prey-unknown diet-breadth trophic-level omnivory-unknown carnivory-unknown detritivory-unknown suspension-feeding-confirmed host-food-waste-use pseudofeces-consumption-unknown host-mucus-use host-tissue-consumption-unknown parasitism-unknown kleptoparasitism-unknown thievery-unknown aggression-context intraspecific-aggression interspecific-aggression limb-autotomy regeneration-unknown wound-healing stress-response handling-response laboratory-maintenance collection-method preservation-effect museum-specimen-quality type-specimen-location original-description-quality subsequent-redescriptions taxonomic-stability nomenclatural-acts priority-rules homonymy-check synonymy-list-completeness distribution-record-verification occurrence-data-quality range-boundary-uncertainty depth-record-accuracy habitat-description-specificity host-record-verification association-record-quality symbiosis-documentation-standard natural-history-completeness research-priority-areas conservation-status-unknown IUCN-evaluation-needed population-trend-unknown threat-assessment habitat-vulnerability climate-sensitivity range-shift-potential phenology-change host-phenology-dependency phenological-mismatch-risk evolutionary-history-unknown phylogenetic-position sister-species-unknown species-group-membership genetic-differentiation cryptic-diversity-potential barcode-library-coverage genome-resources transcriptome-unknown proteome-unknown metabolome-unknown developmental-genetics-unknown symbiosis-genetics-unknown host-recognition-gene-unknown immune-response-unknown parasite-resistance-unknown coevolution-history phylogeography-unknown population-structure-unknown gene-flow-unknown dispersal-limitation isolation-by-distance local-adaptation-unknown phenotypic-plasticity morphological-variation environmental-gradient-response phenotypic-cline genotype-environment-interaction evolutionary-potential adaptive-capacity resilience-unknown extinction-risk-assessment-needed