Publication Abstract

Within-Burrow Behaviour of Juvenile European Lobsters Homarus gammarus (L.)

J.F. Wickins, J.C. Roberts and M.S. Heasman

The behaviour of juvenile European lobsters (Homarus gammarus (L.)) in artificial burrows was observed in the laboratory to determine features of within-burrow behaviour likely to be important in their survival and well-being during the early benthic phase of life. Burrow construction methods and within-burrow behaviour of individually held, hatchery reared, juvenile lobsters (12 to 20 mm CL) in mid-intermoult were observed in clear plastic aquaria half filled with cohesive mud taken from Newcastle Bay. Eleven separate behaviour categories were identified although it was found that most activities did not occur on their own or, necessarily, in one particular location. Behaviour categories included pleopod fanning, cleaning, food burying and retrieval, feeding, substrate probing and picking, sieving and moving substrate and resting. Factors affecting burrow occupancy and the durations of selected activities inside the burrow were burrow chamber size, number of entrances, water flow, moulting and hunger. Hunger increased the time spent by lobsters outside the burrow and in probing and picking at the burrow substrate. Lobsters that had recently experienced a period of starvation had a greater tendancy to cache food between feeding bouts than those that had been fed daily. The implications of the results for juvenile lobster ecology and stock enhancement programmes are discussed.

Reference:

J.F. Wickins, J.C. Roberts and M.S. Heasman, 1996. Within-Burrow Behaviour of Juvenile European Lobsters Homarus gammarus (L.) Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology, 28: 229-253