Abstract Habitat selection is a critical process for animals throughout their life, and adult organisms that travel to forage or mate must reselect habitat frequently. On coral reefs, competition for space has led to a high proportion of habitat specialists. Habitat selection is especially vital for organisms that require specialized habitat; however, research has primarily focused on the initial habitat choice made during the larval/juvenile stage. Here, we analyze habitat selection in the adult sponge-dwelling reef shrimp, Lysmata pederseni. Using a mark-and-recapture technique, belt transects, patch reefs, and cue isolation experiments, this study reveals that adult L. pederseni diurnally reselect habitat and a natural preference exists for specific sponge species and shapes. This natural preference is a function of chemical and morphological cues as well as sponge distribution. As habitat specialists can drive biodiversity, understanding the mechanisms behind habitat selection can inform research and management practices.

中文翻译：

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多种环境因素影响特殊礁虾夜间归巢期间的栖息地选择

摘要 栖息地选择是动物一生中的一个关键过程，成年生物在外出觅食或交配时必须经常重新选择栖息地。在珊瑚礁上，对空间的竞争导致了高比例的栖息地专家的出现。栖息地选择对于需要专门栖息地的生物体尤其重要。然而，研究主要集中在幼体/幼体阶段最初的栖息地选择。在这里，我们分析了成年海绵礁虾 Lysmata pederseni 的栖息地选择。这项研究采用标记再捕获技术、带状断面、斑块珊瑚礁和提示隔离实验，揭示了成年佩氏海绵体每天都会重新选择栖息地，并且对特定海绵种类和形状存在自然偏好。这种自然偏好是化学和形态线索以及海绵分布的函数。由于栖息地专家可以推动生物多样性，因此了解栖息地选择背后的机制可以为研究和管理实践提供信息。