Glimpses of Ocean Life; Or, Rock-Pools and the Lessons they TeachHarper, John
Science
Glimpses of Ocean Life; Or, Rock-Pools and the Lessons they Teach
Harper, John
Animal behavior; Marine animals -- Juvenile literature
A friend, on one occasion having procured for me, among other objects,
a Common Limpet, I placed this mollusc in my aquarium, and soon had
the pleasure of watching it affix its broad foot to the surface of the
glass. After a while, on the Limpet slightly raising its canopy, I was
surprised to observe a little Shore-Crab peer out from between the foot
and shell. On suddenly ejecting the intruder by means of a small brush,
he speedily hid himself from view among the surrounding pebbles. A few
hours after, on again approaching the tank to view the Patella (which
was easily identified, from the fact of an immense colony of Mussels
being settled on its back), I found to my great astonishment that the
crab had re-seated himself in his old position. I often repeated the
sweeping operation, but without success, for the little rascal had
become artful, and was not inclined to be driven forth a second time
by a _coup de main_. I touched the Limpet frequently and saw it glue
itself, as usual, to the glass; but, singular to state, the creature
always left a larger space between its foot and the circumference
of the shell on the side at which the crab was seated, than on the
opposite one, seemingly from a wish to accommodate its crustaceous
friend. This space, moreover, let me observe, was larger than was
absolutely necessary, for, as the shell was not air-tight, I was
enabled to thrust my camel-hair pencil teazingly upon the crab, and was
much amused to watch him clutch at the intruding object, and, at times,
move about with it in his grasp, thus proving that he was by no means
uncomfortably 'cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd.'
For a whole week the crab remained in his favorite lodgings, and only
resigned occupancy thereof when his friend gave up the shell--and died.
There is a certain species of crab, _Pinnotheres pisum_, or common
Pea-Crab, frequently found in _Mytilus edulis_, the Oyster, and the
Common Cockle. Indeed, one gentleman states, that on his examining, on
two occasions, a large number of specimens of the _Cardium edule_, he
found that nine out of every ten cockles contained a crab. Still, in no
other instance than the one my own experience furnishes, have I ever
heard of the Shore-Crab, or, indeed, of any other crustacean, becoming
the guest of _Patella_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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