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1.
The spatial distribution of the ghost crab Ocypode cursor was determined for beaches on eastern Boa Vista Island, Cabo Verde Archipelago. The main objectives were to analyse the across-shore distribution by means of burrow counts and to identify preferential zones and spatial segregation. Six beaches were investigated using 20 across-shore beach transects. It was demonstrated that ghost crabs occur throughout the entire intertidal zone, with higher densities in a 9–13 m band above the waterline. There was an exponential relationship between the carapace length of captured crabs and the diameter of their burrows. Mean burrow diameter was correlated with burrow density and increased linearly with distance from the waterline, although small burrows, representing individuals smaller than the median size, occurred across the beach. Burrow diameter and depth were positively correlated, with larger holes indicating larger crabs and deeper burrows. Deeper burrows were more common in the upper intertidal zone. These results are similar to those described for ghost crab populations elsewhere and contribute to an understanding of the ecology of the species in the local context. 相似文献
2.
Tidal flushing of animal burrows in mangrove swamps provides an effective and important mechanism for transport of salt and other soluble substances. The burrows have complex morphologies consisting of multiple loops. Using established computational modelling techniques, burrow geometries were simulated from characteristic burrow dimensions and the effect of multiple loops on flushing is studied. The computational models show that flushing is enhanced in multiple-loop burrows as upper loops can be completely evacuated, increasing the volume of burrow water removed. The models indicate that there may be a depth limit to which flushing occurs in complex burrow structures. Periscope loops extend further than one characteristic loop depth and are shown to affect the flushing of burrows if the surface-water plume penetrates to their lower depth. Periscope loops with surface openings on the downstream side of the burrow, relative to the tidal inundation, most frequently experience this condition and thus have a great impact on burrow flushing. Field measurements of salinity agree with the hypothesis that there is a depth limit of flushing for complex burrows that is independent of burrow salinity, and suggest a value of 30–35 cm. The measurements also support the suggestion that significant flushing of burrows occurs within a single tidal event. An experiment considered the movement of animals across the interface created by low-salinity surface water and high-salinity burrow water after a partial flushing event. The motion enhances the effective diffusion coefficient of salt by a factor of at least 102, as compared with free diffusion of salt in water, resulting in a more even distribution of dissolved salt in the burrow water between tidal inundations. This distribution may lead to an increase in the depth to which flushing occurs during subsequent inundations. 相似文献
3.
The ventilation of burrows by tube-dwelling benthos is understood to be important in determining rates of exchange of solutes between the sediment and overlying water. However, few models have attempted to link the burrow ventilation behavior of tube-dwelling organisms with their geochemical consequences. The classic cylinder model of bioirrigation in muddy sediments (Aller, R.C., 1980. Quantifying solute distributions in the bioturbated zone of marine sediments by defining an average microenvironment. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 44, 1955–1965) links pore-water processes and burrow sizes and distributions in the sediment by assuming that burrows are fully flushed. The equivalence between the cylinder model and the more commonly used one-dimensional non-local exchange model depends upon this assumption. However, this assumption has seldom been tested in the field. We have extended the cylinder model of bioirrigation to include burrow ventilation activities of organisms. Burrow ventilation is modeled as a simple non-local exchange of burrow water with overlying water. Model simulations indicate that burrow ventilation has a large effect on vertical profiles and fluxes of solute tracers. We collected data on burrow geometry in the field by CT-scanning freshly collected sediment cores. At the same study sites, we measured activity profiles of 222Rn, a naturally occurring radionuclide tracer of pore-water transport. With model geometry independently constrained, we tested the model by comparing our model-predicted profiles with measured profiles. Our results demonstrate that burrows in the field are not fully flushed. Our estimated burrow ventilation rates compare favorably with previous laboratory measurements. The inclusion of realistic burrow ventilation in this pore-water transport model strongly affects modeled solute profiles and fluxes. We demonstrate how model parameters can be determined from field samples and present a model that more realistically simulates pore-water transport processes in muddy sediments. 相似文献
4.
Macrofaunal burrows increase the surface area of the sediment-water interface, which has a great impact on the metabolism of aerobic microbes and the oscillation of reduced metabolites within the sediment. Given the importance of macrofauna in surficial sediments, the aim of this study is to examine the effects of burrow architectures on dissolved oxygen diffusion rates in comparison with unburrowed sediment, and thereby to evaluate the theoretical assumption used for modeling solute distribution in the burrow system using field samples. Employing microsensors, horizontal oxygen profiles were measured on a micrometer scale around burrows of seven invertebrates in tidal flats of the west coast of Korea. Oxygen diffusion distance through the burrow walls of seven invertebrates showed spatio-temporal variation with a range of 0.6 to 2.9 mm. Two groups of burrows were identified based on their oxygen diffusive properties relative to unburrowed sediments: 1) oxygen penetration similar to that of ambient sediments and 2) clearly enhanced oxygen penetration. Differences in the diffusive properties of the burrow wall were related to the burrow depth and diameter, existence of mucus lining on the wall, sediment grain size, and tidal phases. Also inhabitant activity was an important factor affecting oxygen penetration, which is discussed in the paper. These results further demonstrate that simplified assumptions (i.e. burrow structures are viewed as direct biogeochemical extensions of the sediment-water interface) may not be exact representation of the nature. 相似文献
5.
Pauline A. Nye 《新西兰海洋与淡水研究杂志》2013,47(2):243-254
Macrophthalmus hirtipes (Jacquinot, 1853) excavates burrows under water in soft, muddy sand that remains waterlogged at low tide. The crabs are immersed for at least 4 h in every tide. The burrows are usually single, blind‐ending, slightly curved passages; their openings do not appear to be deliberately closed by the crabs. Excavation is effected by using one set of walking legs as a scoop while the other set provides sideways traction. Burrow openings are readily obscured by water movement, so that apparent burrow density does not give a true indication of the number of crabs in an area, but only indicates how many have been active recently; the true density may be found by sieving. The burrowing activity of M. hirtipes is compared with that of other ocypodid crabs, and the functions of burrows are discussed. A distinction is made between excavating a burrow and rapid burying, because the two behaviours are very different, and must involve different adaptations and selection pressures. 相似文献
6.
Abstract. The biology of the thalassinidean shrimp Upogebia pusilla was studied on a tidal flat in the Lagoon of Grado (Northern Adriatic). Burrows were investigated using in situ resin casting and with additional in situ and laboratory observations. Burrows show a basic pattern consisting of a U or a double U with turning chambers and a vertical shaft. Mean burrow diameter depends on animal size, it is smaller than the rigid carapace of the animal. Dimensions, distance between openings, depth of U, total depth, volume and surface are size dependent. The burrow wall is smooth and oxidized. Burrows are always inhabited by a single shrimp. Although they overlap, they are never interconnected. They are mainly constructed by compression of the sediment and are relatively permanent structures. A comparison of the burrows of Thalassinidea with regard to shape, number and appearance of openings, dimensions, properties of the burrow wall and dynamics is given. 相似文献
7.
Burrows of the thalassinidean shrimps Neaxius acanthus and Corallianassa coutierei are striking aspects in tropical seagrass beds of the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia. Burrow construction, behaviour, burrow type and associated commensal community were investigated to clarify the ecological role and food requirements of these shrimps and their commensals. Gut content analysis and stable-isotope data were used to unravel the food sources and the trophic interactions among the commensal community.Individuals of Neaxius acanthus were caught on Bone Batang Island. In narrow aquaria filled with sediment they constructed burrows resembling those found in the field. During burrow construction and maintenance only little sediment was brought to the surface, most was sorted and compacted to create a distinct lining. Maintenance work by single shrimps typically took about 5 min, after which the shrimp walked up to the entrance and rested for a similar period of time. There were no differences in behaviour between day and night. Intrasexual encounters inside the burrow were characterised by a high level of aggression and all resulted in one participant being driven out of the burrow. Intersexual encounters led to coexistence with both animals taking turns in burrow maintenance and guarding the entrance. Offered seagrass leaves were pulled underground, cut into pieces and eventually integrated into the lining. Burrows of Corallianassa coutierei resembled a deep U-shape. Chambers branching off halfway down and at the deepest point contained seagrass fragments. All steep parts of the burrow were lined similar to burrows of N. acanthus.No commensals were found associated with Corallianassa coutierei. However, burrows of Neaxius acanthus in the field typically contained a pair of shrimps, up to 8 individuals of the commensal bivalve Barrimysia cumingii and large numbers of gammarid amphipods. Other animals found associated with the burrow were the goby Austrolethops wardi, a palaemonid shrimp species and two species of tube-building polychaetes, one of which was also found as an epibiont on N. acanthus.Stable-isotope and gut content analyses indicate that the diet of Neaxius acanthus, its commensal Austrolethops wardi, and Corallianassa coutierei is mainly derived from detrital seagrass leaves, with a potential contribution of sediment organic matter and seagrass epiphytes. In contrast the isotopic signature of Barrimysia cumingii suggests the presence of symbiotic sulphide metabolism bacteria. This study underlines that, besides their interactions with the surrounding ecosystem, thalassinid shrimp burrows play an important role as a sub-habitat with a unique associated fauna. 相似文献
8.
Abstract. This study of the enteropneust, Balanoglossus aurantiacus , in Bogue Sound, NC, provides information on the general structure and variability in geometry of its burrow, B. aurantiacus employs a funnel at the anterior end of its burrow to cave in surface sediments. It ingests, processes, then deposits these sediments back on the surface as fecal castings. Measurements made on resin casts of burrows and on photographs of surface features (burrow openings and funnels) revealed a new and consistent pattern of burrow construction. This pattern distinguishes B. aurantiacus burrows from those reported for other funnel feeders and enteropneusts (except, perhaps, for B. clavigerus). Laboratory and field observations revealed that, within its burrow, B. aurantiacus is elongated, can double-back on itself, and can use anterior burrow openings for subsequent fecal castings. Tests for significant changes in location of surface features gave estimates of how frequently individuals in aquaria and field populations abandon old burrow locations and construct new burrows. Field observations showed that B. aurantiacus will reopen a blocked burrow opening. 相似文献
9.
Abstract. The burrows of Squilla mantis are described from polyester resin casts taken at two Adriatic sites near Ancona. Typically, burrows had two openings, one of which was larger than the other, and were basically U-shaped. An interesting association with the little-known caridean shrimp Athanas amazone was observed. The sediments occupied by S. mantis were silty sands and sandy muds. Field observations of S. mantis and other species on the same grounds are presented and some information on burrow density is given, derived from burrow counts using underwater television. Burrowing behaviour is described from observations of animals transferred to laboratory aquaria. 相似文献
10.
Effect of environmental conditions on variation in the sediment-water interface created by complex macrofaunal burrows on a tidal flat 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
We quantified the increase in the sediment-water interface created by the burrowing activities of the resident macrofaunal community and its variation with respect to the physical conditions of the habitat on a tidal fat. We investigated environmental factors and dimensions of macrofaunal burrows with respect to tidal height and vegetation during spring and summer at three sites. A resin-casting method was used to quantify the dimensions of all burrows at each site. The dimensions of macrofaunal burrows varied both temporally and spatially and the increase in the sediment-water interface reached a maximum of 311%, ranging from 20 to 255% under different habitat conditions. The sediment-water interface depended on the duration of exposure resulting from tidal height, increased temperatures resulting from seasonality, and marsh plant density. Burrows were deeper and more expansive at both higher tidal levels and higher temperatures in summer. Burrow dimensions were sharply reduced with the disappearance of adult macrofauna in areas where the roots of the marsh plant Suaeda japonica were dense. The significance of this study lies in quantifying the burrow dimensions of the entire macrofaunal community, rather than just a single population, and confirming their spatial and temporal variation with respect to physical conditions of the habitat. Environmental factors responsible for variation in burrow dimensions are discussed. 相似文献
11.
《Journal of Sea Research》2008,59(4):302-312
We quantified the increase in the sediment-water interface created by the burrowing activities of the resident macrofaunal community and its variation with respect to the physical conditions of the habitat on a tidal fat. We investigated environmental factors and dimensions of macrofaunal burrows with respect to tidal height and vegetation during spring and summer at three sites. A resin-casting method was used to quantify the dimensions of all burrows at each site. The dimensions of macrofaunal burrows varied both temporally and spatially and the increase in the sediment-water interface reached a maximum of 311%, ranging from 20 to 255% under different habitat conditions. The sediment-water interface depended on the duration of exposure resulting from tidal height, increased temperatures resulting from seasonality, and marsh plant density. Burrows were deeper and more expansive at both higher tidal levels and higher temperatures in summer. Burrow dimensions were sharply reduced with the disappearance of adult macrofauna in areas where the roots of the marsh plant Suaeda japonica were dense. The significance of this study lies in quantifying the burrow dimensions of the entire macrofaunal community, rather than just a single population, and confirming their spatial and temporal variation with respect to physical conditions of the habitat. Environmental factors responsible for variation in burrow dimensions are discussed. 相似文献
12.
《Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography》1999,46(10):2289-2307
In the sedimentary column, a combined quantification of burrows and macrobenthic community provides evidence of bioturbation features in the submarine canyon of Cap-Ferret between 2000 and 3000 m depth. An image-processing technique allows accurate quantification of burrow volumes with depth in the sedimentary column. The major bioturbation mode seems to be different in the channel compared to the interfluve. Macrobenthic activity is more inclined to mix the sediment in the channel in response to increased organic matter supplies. Sediment mixing leads to burrow destruction in the upper mixed layer of sediment in the canyon. Burrows are better preserved on the interfluve where mixing is slower. Under the mixed zone, the volume of recorded burrows is higher when sedimentation rate increases, as in the upper canyon. In this transition layer, the burrow volume is estimated to be between 3 and 64% of the total sediment volume depending on the sediment depth. The fill-down of numerous burrows with surface sediment by bioregeneration suggests that anaerobic degradation of fresh organic matter is dominant in this canyon. In the sedimentary column, the negative relationship between carbonate content and macrobenthic abundance confirms that carbonate dissolution is largely influenced by bioturbation. 相似文献
13.
《Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers》2003,50(6):815-827
Automated ichnofabric analysis was performed on X-ray radiographs from five gravity cores retrieved from Late Quaternary sediments from the SW Portuguese continental slope. The image analysis program DIAna was used to detect and quantify the part of the ichnofabric consisting of pyritized microburrows, presumably Trichichnus and “Mycellia”. Abundance and orientation of the burrows were determined at 5-cm intervals. The results agree with manual counts of burrows in the coarse fraction of the sediment, and they indicate that the abundance of the pyritized burrows depends on enhanced organic carbon content, fine grain size, and low bottom water oxygenation. In contrast, no clear correlation between burrow orientation and environmental conditions was observed. 相似文献
14.
栖息于潮间带的海生动物中,营底内生活的种类占很大的比例。这类动物以独特的生活方式适应或克服潮间带的各种不利条件而得到生存和繁衍。从报道来看现代海洋底内动物泂穴的研究具有多方面的意义。如某些潮间带底内动物的鉴定,仅以外部形态作依据显然不够,还需以其他生态资料,如粪便、洞穴、卵块等作参考。有些潮间带动物的地理分布范围与其营底内生活有关，它们可以借助洞穴的保护而渡过寒暖不适的气候。更重要的是这方面研究能对古生态学和地史学问題的探讨提供科学依据。有很多种潮间带底内动物洞穴、排出物和爬行痕迹等被作为“生活遗迹”而保存在化石中,因此这类化石的沉积岩层实际上已成为该类动物生存发展年代的记载。但是,在岩层古生态学分析研究中,比较困难的是如何区别古代生物居住、死亡或埋藏的地点,这个同题涉及到对沉积物形成的地点和过程的确定,进一步就可用这些资料来研究古代海岸变迁和海面的升降。就潮间带底内动物的居住和死亡地点(埋藏与死亡地点也可以不同)来说,有的可能一致(如某些不太活动的种类),有的则不一致(如贝类)，作为古生态学依据,各具其长短,贝类无洞穴化石,其贝壳可成为化石,但埋藏与生活地点往往不一致;蟹类的优点是洞穴能成化石，其上并留有爬行痕迹;洞穴化石的埋藏与动物原来生活地点一致(亦有个別情况不一致)。早在地史年代就已有不少虾蟹类遗体及生活迹迹化石被发现:因此，现代潮间带蟹类洞穴的研究不仅对认识或鉴定古代甲売类动物有价值,而且对进一步鉴定种类、寻找演化线索和促进古生态学的发展都具有重要意义。
青岛潮间带在我国北方沿岸潮间带中颇具代表性。潮汐是规则的半日潮。
著者曾于1954-1964年,选以下四个点进行了调查:1,沧口潮间带,位于胶州湾内东北区中部,座东向西，坡度小的泥质和泥沙质滩涂;2.沙子口潮间带,位于青岛以东,为沙质滩涂;3.湛山湾潮间带:位青岛以东近郊,为沙质滩涂;4.大黑澜潮间带,位于胶州湾口,为岩石岸滩。每月进行二次大潮采集,每一采样点取两个定量(50×50厘米)样品和若于定性补充样品。从1963年5月至1964年9月,结合甲壳类生态进行了专题调查,本文就是根据上述调查,在软底质滩涂所获11种蟹类材料总结的,对所见各种蟹类的洞穴均经现场观察、测量并作了详细记录和拍照。对同一种蟹类洞穴的形态在不同地点和时间内所出现的变化也给予了特别的注意。
本文定稿过程中征得了山东海洋学院李嘉泳及本所曾呈奎,刘瑞玉、郑执中、吴宝铃、齐钟彦、马绣同等同志的修改意见,文中插图、照片由王兴虞、宋华中同志给予帮助,在此一并表示感谢。 相似文献
15.
Mating behavior strategies of brachyuran crabs are flexible depending on the habitat and social context. We evaluate pre-copulatory guarding in Neohelice granulata and describe the unusual copulatory behavior. Laboratory experiments were conducted to test whether factors such as male size, presence of burrows, a male-biased operational sex ratio (OSR) and female mating history affect the copulation duration in two different study areas. Females initiated a searching behavior approximately 20–26 h before they became receptive by assessing large male burrows and displaying a courtship behavior (“flirting”) in its entrance. Once the female entered inside the male burrow, pre-copulatory guarding was observed until the female became receptive and successful copulation occurred immediately after. This species shows some very unusual copulatory behavior involving eyestalk grasping not seen in any other varunid crab. The copulation duration was independent of male size and the presence of burrows, although it was dependent on the study area, the OSR and the female mating history. Thus, copulation duration is a flexible character in this species which varies with habitat and biological factors such as mating history and sex ratio. 相似文献
16.
Sosuke Otani Yasunori Kozuki Ryoichi Yamanaka Hiromitsu Sasaoka Tetsu Ishiyama Yoshihito Okitsu Hajime Sakai Yoji Fujiki 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010,86(3):434-440
The objective of this study is to elucidate the burrow structure and to clarify the role of burrows in material cycle in the tidal flat. In our work, we focused on the dominant species in muddy tidal flat, crab Macrophthalmus japonicus.Burrow structure of Macrophthalmus japonicus was investigated on a Katsuura river tidal flat in Tokushima prefecture, Japan, using in situ resin casting. Sampling was conducted in August 2006, and a total of 48 burrow casts were obtained. Burrows consisted mainly of J-shaped structures (98%) while the rest belonged to U-shaped structures (2%). The maximum measured burrow volume was 120 cm3 and wall surface area was 224 cm2, while maximum burrow length and depth were 23.2 cm and 16.5 cm, respectively. Burrow volume and surface area were strongly correlated with carapace width of M. japonicus. Investigation of the individual number of M. japonicus in 13 quadrats (50 × 50 × 20 cm) was conducted using 2 mm sieve. The number of M. japonicus was 15–31 ind./m2. Using cohort analysis we estimated that surface area of burrows was 0.07–0.15 m2/m2.CO2 emission rate was measured at the surface sediment during the period from June to December 2008. Results varied from 13.8 ± 2.2 to 49.4 ± 3.2 mg CO2/m2/h, and organic carbon decomposition was 3.8 ± 0.6–13.5 ± 0.9 mg C/m2/h. This leads the increase of organic carbon decomposition by 1.1 times, because of the expansion of the tidal flat surface area by burrowing activity. Organic carbon decomposition in burrow walls therefore contributed to organic matter decomposition in the tidal flat. These results indicated that in situ activities of Macrophthalmus japonicus significantly influence the material cycle and it is important to consider the existence of burrow in order to understand the fluxes of materials and to evaluate the purification function of the tidal flat. 相似文献
17.
Eugenia Fanjul María A. Grela Alejandro Canepuccia Oscar Iribarne 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2008
Along the coastal areas of the Southwest Atlantic estuaries and embayments, phreatic water often circulates through very extended areas (up to several hundred meters perpendicular to the coast), dominated by dense assemblages of deep burrows of the crab Neohelice granulata (formerly Chasmagnathus granulatus). This crab inhabits the intertidal area, from mudflats to marshes vegetated by species of Spartina, Sarcocornia and Juncus, generating extensive burrowing beds where burrow density may reach up to 60 burrows m−2. Since the lower limit of the crab burrows is usually the water table, we investigated through field experiments the effect of N. granulata and their burrows on the chemical characteristics of this phreatic water. Water analysis from experimental (1) occupied burrows (with crabs), (2) unoccupied burrows (where crabs were excluded), and (3) sediment pore water show remarkable differences. Water oxygenation, and nitrate, ammonium and sulphate concentrations inside occupied burrows were higher than in the water inside unoccupied burrows or pore waters. Moreover, directed sampling of phreatic water entering and leaving the crab bed, shows that dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration is enhanced as the water crosses the crab bed. These results may be ascribed to the fact that in the salt marsh the crabs spend most of their time within burrows, where presumably they store food (plants) and defecate. These activities generate an area of accumulation of excrements and nutrients in different decomposition states. The present work shows a novel way by which bioturbating organisms can affect nutrients exportation from salt marshes to the open waters. 相似文献
18.
The architecture of macrofaunal burrows and the total area of the sediment-water interface created by biogenic structure were
investigated in the Donggeomdo tidal flat on the west coast of Korea. Resin casting methods were applied to recover burrows
of four dominant species, Macrophthalmus japonicus, Cleistostoma dilatatum, Perinereis aibuhitensis, and Periserrula leucophryna,
and whole burrows within the casting area at three sites in different tidal levels.P. leucophryna excavated the largest burrow in terms of a surface area among them. In the case of whole burrow casting, the space occupied
by the biogenic structure was extended into deeper and expanded more greatly at the higher tidal level. In the uppermost flat,
the burrow wall surface area within sediment was more extensive than the sediment surface area. Increased oxygen supply through
the extended interface could enhance the degradation rates of organic carbon and also change the pathways of degradation.
Quantifying the relationship between the extended interface and mineralization rate and pathway requires more extensive study. 相似文献
19.
A. De Backer F. Van Coillie F. Montserrat P. Provoost C. Van Colen M. Vincx S. Degraer 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2011
Bioturbation is one of the major processes influencing ecosystem functioning. Population parameters such as species density, burrow density and species-specific life modes, determine the impact of bioturbation on the ecosystem. A laboratory experiment was developed, using microcosms mimicking a marine intertidal sediment–water interface which allowed for quantification of different population parameters. The vertical redistribution, bioturbation rate and maximum penetration depth of two sizes (41 and 129 μm) of luminophores were measured in five treatments (control, low density of burrows with and without Corophium (1989 ind./m2), and high density of burrows with and without Corophium (14,921 ind./m2)) after 1, 7 and 14 days. Results indicate that the behavioural activities of Corophium are of the utmost importance in sediment reworking, since they contributed to a five-fold increase in bioturbation rate compared to the passive transport induced by the static structure of the burrows. Furthermore, density is an important parameter because only high densities play a prominent role in particle transport and hence in organic matter processing, while the role of low Corophium densities is limited in sediment reworking. No evidence for differentiation in sediment size fractions was observed. Finally, bioturbation rates in this study were low compared to other studies, and these results suggest an influence of the tidal rhythmicity in the behavioural activity of Corophium on the bioturbation rate. 相似文献
20.
The reproductive ecology of the mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris was investigated during the spawning season in the Funing Bay, Fujian, China. The fish burrows were basically Y-shaped and had two openings onto the mudflats. Part of the intersection at the center of the burrow was dilated to form a "spawning chamber". The dissolved oxygen concentrations (0.40~0.65 mg/dm3)of water 15 cm deep inside the burrows were much lower than those (5.96~6.19 mg/dm3) of intertidal pool water. Water temperatures inside the burrows were much lower than those of intertidal pools. Field investigations indicated that eggs were laid on the inner wall and ceiling of the spawning chamber by means of filamentous attachments, and a male stayed inside the burrows to guard it. Field investigations also suggested that fish of both sexes constructed mud burrows by themselves but that the spawning chamber was made only in the male burrow. The male attracted a female to his burrow for mating and spawning. There was no water in the spawning chamber, and thus the eggs were exposed to the air in the chamber. Changes in spawning readiness and gonadosomatic index indicated that synchronization of spawning was related to the semi-lunar periodicity, and this is the first report of this relationship in the mudskippers. 相似文献