Meeting Abstract
The ability to navigate successfully to and from sites rich in resources is essential for survival for many organisms. In particular, the ability to repeatedly locate a shelter is critical for avoiding predation. Within crayfish, species can be primary burrowers (those that create and use burrows with increased frequency) or tertiary burrowers (those that utilize burrows constructed by other species). This difference in energy expenditures on shelter construction might lead to differences in the ability to home to burrows. We tested this hypothesis by challenging a primary burrower (Fallicambarus fodiens) and a tertiary burrower (Orconectes rusticus) to relocate a burrow that had been displaced in space. Rotational displacements of burrows allow us to further examine the mechanisms (and cues) utilized by crayfish during short-range homing. Homing abilities are correlated with the label of primary or tertiary burrowers and results indicate that the underlying mechanisms of homing appear to be different between the two species.
