Male versus female mate searching in fiddler crabs: A comparative analysis

Abstract

We present a comparative analysis of mate searching in fiddler crabs, genus Uca. Several ecological factors determine which sex will search for mates and how complex male signaling will be. Female searching is most tightly correlated with mating in male burrows. Female searching is associated with high burrow density, small body size, and large soil size. These factors explain variation in a female's need for male-defended incubation sites. Female searching also is correlated with short eyestalks. In species in which females search for mates, males use a more complex mate attraction signal than in species in which males search.