Experimental evidence for concentration-dependence and intra-specific variation of movement behaviour in American lobster (Homarus americanus) larvae

Predicting dispersal paths of marine larvae with long pelagic durations, such as American lobster (Homarus americanus), requires understanding the cues to which larvae respond, and how that response reflects changes in larval behaviour. If larvae respond to conspecific presence by varying their movement, this behaviour can bias laboratory estimates of environmental responses. We tested whether larvae actively decreased their local intraspecific density by measuring how the vertical distribution of larvae changed under high versus low concentrations of conspecifics. We observed weak increases in vertical dispersion at higher concentrations in both newly-hatched larvae and in post-larvae, but not in intermediate larval stages. Further, we found that larvae from different mothers consistently differed in vertical distribution, which may indicate maternal effects on dispersal behavior. We also tested for differences in horizontal swimming behaviour in high and low concentrations, by fitting a novel random walk model that allowed us to model both larval interactions and persistent turning behaviours. We showed substantial reduction in diffusive behaviour under high concentration conditions resulting from more frequent turns by each larva, but no evidence for consistent avoidance of conspecifics. Our study is the first to demonstrate concentration-dependent behaviours in lobster larvae.