MEPS prepress abstract   -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14827

ABSTRACT: Predator–prey interactions play a critical role in structuring communities, such as rock lobster predation, which has been shown to affect both soft sediment and rocky reef community structure. In recent years there have been major concerns regarding the over-exploitation of rock lobsters Jasus edwardsii and their significant decline and sustained low lobster abundance have led to many populations becoming functionally extinct, resulting in large regime shifts in rocky reef habitats. Despite the ecological importance of lobsters, conservation efforts are hindered by a lack of understanding concerning their nearshore feeding biology and sensory drivers. Therefore, the aim here was to assess the sensory drivers of rock lobster predation. Cafeteria experiments coupled with sensory ablation (visual and chemosense) showed that large male lobsters exhibited a strong preference for soft-sediment bivalves over rocky-reef prey and urchins were the least preferred when lobsters were presented with prey choice. Detection and selection of buried soft-sediment prey were primarily driven by chemoreception. Collectively, these results have significant implications for the sensory ecology of these important animals.