Correlation analyses of covering and righting behaviors to fitness related traits of the sea urchin Glyptocidaris crenularis in different environmental conditions

Complex marine benthic environments shape a number of ecologically important behaviors in sea urchins, including covering and righting behaviors. The present study correlated covering and righting behaviors to a series of fi tness-related traits in sea urchins. Righting response time of Glyptocidaris crenularis was signifi cantly positively correlated with body size, but signifi cantly negatively correlated with food consumption. Covering behavior was not signifi cantly correlated with test diameter, test height or body weight, but covering response time was negatively correlated with body weight. A signifi cantly negative correlation was found between righting response time and covering response time. Glyptocidaris crenularis showed a signifi cantly positive correlation in covering response time with and without exposure to poured sand, but no signifi cance in covering ability(number of shells used to cover). The present study provides new insight into internal mechanisms and evolutionary drives of covering and righting behaviors of sea urchins.