Do gonopores change?

[purpleperson]

Hey all recently I have been wondering about the accuracy of gonopores. I sexed my own crabs when I first got them and I sexed one at school. Out of the my own, I thought I had 2 males and 2 females. I thought the one at school was a female. Yesterday however, after re sexing my own crabs out of curiosity I found them all to have very prominent gonopores, however the one at school seemed to have none, though I am 100% certain she had them before he last molt. I have never noticed things like this with my past crabs, though it's entirely possible that I just didn't notice.

I'm wondering if it's possible that hermits follow some sort of cycle or something, like that the gonopores are only visible a couple weeks or so after a molt, or if they are just visible at certain times in the theoretical "cycle". Does anyone have more info on this or some links to some articles? Or has it already been talked about and I just missed it?

I'm thinking that the gonopores change colour/size at certain times making them harder to see or even invisible.

Thanks!


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[wodesorel]

From observation, yes they can change. Check out this paper, as it's been studied!

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ole ... 000000.pdf

Edit: grrr... it's not loading the pdf. you might need to copy/paste

Code: Select all

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Oleg_Gusev/publication/228117632_Observation_of_intersexuality_in_land_hermit_crabs_(Anomura_Coenobitidae)/links/09e414ff55ba813b54000000.pdf

[purpleperson]

Thank you so much! It's been interesting me a lot lately but I have been having problems finding more information.


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[purpleperson]

Edit: grrr... it's not loading the pdf. you might need to copy/paste

Hmm weird, the first time I was able to open it as a link and it worked! But for some reason now there is no link at all.


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[wodesorel]

Sorry, I was trying to get it pop up all the way. For some reason it wants to cut out after the ( in the link.

[purpleperson]

Oh well, I still saw it and I saved the link so I am able to read it still thanks!!


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