著者

Yoshinobu Hayakawa Keiichi Kakui

出版者

Aquos Institute

雑誌

水生動物 (ISSN:24348643)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.2022, pp.AA2022-10, 2022-06-09 (Released:2022-06-09)

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We report microhabitats used by the tanaidid tanaidacean Zeuxo ezoensis Okamoto et al., 2020 on the marine alga Sargassum confusum C. Agardh, as well as its molting behavior, based on observation of captive individuals. Zeuxo ezoensis constructed its tube-shaped nests on S. confusum (1) at the bases of lateral branches, (2) on main branches in the apical region, (3) in cracked air bladders, and (4) in clumps of a filamentous alga (Chordariaceae sp.) epiphytic on S. confusum. The behavioral sequence of a single molt observed for a male Z. ezoensis was as follows. (1) A break occurred along the ventrolateral and posterodorsal edges of the carapace, creating a dorsal opening in the old exoskeleton; (2) the animal began to extricate itself from the old exoskeleton through this opening; (3) the cephalothorax and its appendages shed the old exoskeleton; and (4) the animal completed extrication from the old exoskeleton. The entire molt took about five minutes.