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Defensive strategies of European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas during predator attack

2010; Inter-Research; Volume: 423; Linguagem: Inglês

10.3354/meps08957

1616-1599

Giuseppa Buscaino, Francesco Filiciotto, Michele Gristina, Gaspare Buffa, Antonio Bellante, Vincenzo Maccarrone, Bernardo Patti, Salvatore Mazzola,

Marine and fisheries research

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 423:143-154 (2011) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08957 Defensive strategies of European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas during predator attack G. Buscaino1,*, F. Filiciotto1, M. Gristina2, G. Buffa1, A. Bellante1, V. Maccarrone1, B. Patti1, S. Mazzola1 1Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. S. di Capo Granitola—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via del Faro No. 3, 91021 Granitola, TP, Italy 2Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero U.O. S. di Mazara del Vallo—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via L. Vaccara no. 61, 91026 Mazara del Vallo, TP, Italy *Email: giuseppa.buscaino@cnr.it ABSTRACT: The aim of the present work was to reveal the behaviour of the European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas (Fabricius, 1787) during encounters with predators. The study was conducted in a tank, exposing lobsters individually or in groups to a single specimen of the European conger eel or the common octopus. The behaviours of the lobsters, their sounds and the behaviours of the predators were recorded using a digital audio-video underwater acquisition system and analysed. A behavioural event not found in literature, dubbed 'Alert' by the authors, was described. The results showed that the most recurrent events were Alert, Point and Whip, which have the function of controlling the predator with the antennae, while maintaining the predator–prey distance. Moreover, a strong association between Tail Flip and Lunge (events that were stimulated in response to an imminent danger to life) with the sounds emitted by lobsters was observed. Significantly more sounds were emitted during the tests with single lobsters compared to grouped lobsters. As a result of the present study, the European conger eel may also be considered a potential natural predator of the European spiny lobster. KEY WORDS: European spiny lobster · Behaviour · Antipredatory strategies · Common octopus · European conger eel Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Buscaino G, Filiciotto F, Gristina M, Buffa G and others (2011) Defensive strategies of European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas during predator attack. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 423:143-154. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08957 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 423. Online publication date: February 10, 2011 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2011 Inter-Research.