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AB 4:201-210 (2008)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00107

Nocturnally active western rock lobsters Panulirus cygnus forage close to shallow coastal reefs

Lachlan D. MacArthur1,*, Glenn A. Hyndes1, Russell C. Babcock2, Mathew A. Vanderklift2

1Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia
2CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Private Bag 5, Wembley, Western Australia 6913, Australia

ABSTRACT: The western rock lobster Panulirus cygnus is an abundant consumer along the lower west coast of Australia, sheltering in reef during the day and foraging in surrounding habitat at night. We used acoustic telemetry to determine the distances from high-relief reef where nocturnally active P. cygnus forage at 3 sites representing 3 common shallow-water habitats: meadows of the seagrasses Amphibolis spp. and Posidonia sinuosa and macroalga-dominated pavement. We focussed on among-site variation in core and total nocturnal activity area, distance of foraging from high-relief reef and total distance between position estimates. We found that P. cygnus moved over an extensive area at all sites and that 90% of lobster activity occurred within 60 m of the nearest high-relief reef at all 3 sites regardless of habitat type. Foraging activity by P. cygnus is therefore likely to be greatest within this zone around coastal reefs. Core (50% utilisation distribution [UD]) and total (95% UD) nocturnal activity areas did not differ significantly between sites and averaged 2556 ± 482 m2 and 10437 ± 2221 m2, respectively. Total distance between position estimates and average distance from reef did not differ between sites either.


KEY WORDS: Spiny lobster · Movement · Foraging range


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Cite this article as: MacArthur LD, Hyndes GA, Babcock RC, Vanderklift MA (2008) Nocturnally active western rock lobsters Panulirus cygnus forage close to shallow coastal reefs. Aquat Biol 4:201-210. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00107

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