WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD ARTIFICIAL REEF FOR LOBSTERS

Artificial reefs have been used to concentrate fish. In order to chara cterize good artificial reefs for lobsters, information on the behavio ur and ecology of lobsters on natural substrates is needed. Habitat an d microhabitat selection, predator-prey and intraspecific interactions , and related facets are reviewed for late juvenile and adult clawed, spiny, and slipper lobsters. These data, together with the results of several experiments with man-made habitats, indicate the behavioural-e cological processes associated with shelter selection. Horizontal shel ters with opaque cover and multiple den openings were preferred by mos t species studied. These characteristics are considered anti-predator adaptations. Yet, a survey of artificial reefs established in the rece nt decade has revealed that lobsters were reported in only a small pro portion of the projects. It is suggested that the majority of these re efs has not been designed and constructed to fit the behavioural-ecolo gical preferences of the target lobster species for shelter.