Sunday, July 5, 2015

The Standoff

I was watching a jumping spider crawl along a rock face in the high intertidal zone.  As it approached a limpet, I wasn't sure what it would do — would it crawl around the limpet?

 

Nope!  It crawled right up onto the limpet.

The spider kept going, moving towards the crevice. 

And then this happened:

 

A juvenile Striped Shore Crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes) emerged from the crevice and moved towards the spider.  The crab appeared to be defending its space.

What do you think happened?


The spider retreated and crawled further up the rock wall.

I don't think I had ever considered a standoff between a jumping spider and an intertidal crab.  In retrospect, since there is overlap in the habitat they utilize, I supposed it shouldn't have been a surprise.  But it sure was fun to see it today! 
 
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2 comments:

  1. UnknownJuly 7, 2015 at 12:33 PM

    I love this!

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  2. Jackie SonesJuly 10, 2015 at 9:17 AM

    Me, too! I wondered what they thought of each other. And it made me curious about how often they encounter each other, and if the outcome is always the same? And would the outcome change if the sizes of the individual spiders and crabs were different?

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