Semilunar rhythm in the zoea-release activity of the land crabs Sesarma.

The number of the land crabs Sesarma which released zoeae in a river was counted and recorded for 2 years. The number of crabs releasing zoeae reached a maximum at around every syzygy and decreased to a minimum at around every half moon, showing a semilunar rhythm (Fig. 2). This semilunar rhythm, when examined temporally, showed a peculiar pattern accurately synchronized with the lunar cycle. On the day of and during 4-5 days prior to the syzygy, the peak of zoea-release activity came just after sunset. A few days later, the peak gradually shifted to later in the evening and became flattened until temporal concentration was no longer observed. About 2 days after the half moon, the peak appeared again just after sunset (Figs. 3, 4 and 5). It is not likely that the tide itself affects the semilunar rhythm of Sesarma, but it is supposed that the lunadian factor is involved in it. The adaptive significance of this semilunar rhythm may be interpreted to mean that zoeae released in the river just after the time of spring high tides will successfully arrive at the sea and that the lunadian modification of the peak in the temporal structure will also ensure that the zoeae will be released at the time of high tides and will have a better chance of arriving at the sea than they would otherwise do.