Effects of time of day, water temperature, and water velocity on swimming by postlarvae of the American lobster, Homarus americanus

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1-1-1991

Abstract

Mean swimming speeds ranged from c7 cm.s-1 in the "claws-apart' swimming mode to 13.2 cm.s-1 in the streamlined, "claws-together' mode. In the flume, total time spent swimming during a 30-min test period decreased as water velocity increased from 8 to 14 cm.s-1. Time spent swimming was greater during the day than at either dusk or night. Postlarvae spent very little time swimming at 15°C but significantly more at 21°C. Wild postlarvae were larger, heavier, and swam more rapidly than laboratory-reared postlarvae. Rapid, directional swimming by postlarvael lobsters may play a role in determination of distribution and recruitment to benthic populations. -from Authors

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Volume

48

Issue

10

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