Life Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Season, Size And Parasitism By The Acanthocephalan, Profilicollis Altmani, On The Carotenoid Concentration And Composition Of The Pacific Mole Crab, Emerita Analoga, Lauren F. Constancio

Master's Theses

The Pacific Mole crab Emerita analoga is a filter-feeding crustacean inhabiting sandy beaches along the western coasts of North and South America. The tissues of E. analoga contain carotenoids, dietary pigments that are involved in crustacean cryptic coloration and egg development. Despite extensive study of its life history, little is known about how E. analoga is affected by parasitism, even though previous groups noted the presence of larval helminths in its body cavity. We examined parasite prevalence and intensity of the acanthocephalan Profilicollis altmani infecting E. analoga from Pismo Beach, California. We investiged the effects of parasite infection and body …