Frisch, Ashley (2005) Bachelors seek house and harem: the cryptic word of crayfish on coral reefs. Australasian Science, 26 (10). pp. 41-42.

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Abstract

[Extract] Ornate in colour, bizarre in appearance and good to eat. Until now this was almost all that was known about the painted crayfish (Panulirus versicolor), a decapod crustacean that inhabits the Great Barrier Reef. In fact, an internet search reveals that we know more about cordon bleu recipes for this seafood than we do about its day-to-day life on coral reefs. But this is no surprise to a crustacean biologist, since crayfish are incredibly difficult to study in their natural environment.

Investigating the behaviour of mobile underwater animals requires special techniques. In many cases, individual animals are labelled with a unique tag, and inferences about their behaviour and migrations are made when they are recaptured at a later stage.

This task is relatively straightforward for most groups of marine animals, such as fish and molluscs. They are soft-bodied, so small identification tags can be applied directly to the skin or surface of individual animals, enabling them to be tracked through time and space.

Item ID:	17670
Item Type:	Article (Non-Refereed Research)
ISSN:	1442-679X
Date Deposited:	03 Aug 2011 07:14
FoR Codes:	06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0602 Ecology > 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) @ 100%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9608 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity > 960808 Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity @ 100%
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