Behavior and Respiration of the Burrowing Shrimps Upogebia Major (De Haan) and Callianassa Japonica (De Haan)

The behavior and metabolic rates of two burrowing shrimps, Upogebia major (de Haan) and Callianassa japonica (de Haan), which live on a tidal flat. were studied. The former is a filter-feeder and has a simple Y-shaped burrow. The latter is a deposit-feeder and continually burrows; this results in a complex burrow morphology. The respiration rate of U. major under saturated oxygen conditions was about twice that of C. japonica. With decrease in oxygen concentration, the respiration rate of Upogebia decreased, while that of Callianassa remained at about the same level until the oxygen concentration fell to < 30% of the saturation value. The O:N ratio (respiration : NH4 excretion) of U. major was significantly higher than that of C. japonica, suggesting a difference in food sources. Under anoxic conditions, C. japonica survived 3-4 times longer than U. major. The physiological characteristics of the two shrimps may be closely correlated with the differences in behavior of the shrimps within their burrows.