Study of orientation behavior of Hermit crab Diogenes avarus under the influence of chemical cues and Lead contamination

Study of behavior of aquatic animals is a sensitive indicator to toxicant stress and ecologically can using it to measure the effect of pollutants on aquatic organisms. In this study, were investigated orientation behavior of two groups of infected to lead and Healthy (uninfected) hermit crabs toward target was studied upon exposure to background seawater containing chemical cues in concentrations predatory odor (1, 2, 4 g/l/24h) and Food odor (1, 2, 4 g/l/24h). Also, the assumption was that the hermit crab Diogenes avarus ability to understand the chemical and based on orienting to the target and contaminant of Lead can affected the orientation behavior of this species. The results showed that uninfected samples 1) in the control treatment exhibited uniform orientation, 2) In the treatment of food odor, orientation significantly increased towered the bait and 3) in the treatment of predator odor, hermit crabs oriented significantly toward the opposite direction of the target side. Also the result indicated that the Lead affected the orientation behavior of hermit crab because of, all of the treatments showed uniform orientation. This observation is probably due to the neurotoxins nature of Lead or animal energy reduction due to removal of contaminant from its body. Generally, hermit crab has ability of understanding the chemicals and orientation diagnostic power based on visual and chemical information and contaminant of Lead impacted on this its abilities.