SeaLifeBase
Ecology of Homarus americanus
 
Main Ref. Holthuis, L.B., 1991
Remarks Benthic in coastal and shelf waters (Ref. 106894). Possibly a selective feeder, preying mainly on crabs, echinoderms, mussels and polychaetes but also ingesting algae and seaweeds, with a complex foraging behavior and thus capable of maintaining gross diet composition despite of sharp variations in prey availability, seasonality and ontogenetic changes, e.g., molt- and size-related diet shifts (Ref. 33024). Migration does not occur, or only to a limited scale (Ref. 4).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

Marine - Neritic Marine - Oceanic Brackishwater Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies
  • supra-littoral zone
  • littoral zone
  • sublittoral zone
  • epipelagic
  • mesopelagic
  • epipelagic
  • abyssopelagic
  • hadopelagic
  • estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas
  • mangroves
  • marshes/swamps
  • rivers/streams
  • lakes/ponds
  • caves
  • exclusively in caves
Highighted items on the list are where Homarus americanus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate Benthic: mobile; Soft Bottom: mud; Hard Bottom: rocky;
Substrate Ref. Holthuis, L.B., 1991
Special habitats Beds: algae/seaweed; rock;
Special habitats Ref. Elner, R.W. and A.C. Campbell, 1987

Associations

Ref. Holthuis, L.B., 1991
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref. Elner, R.W. and A.C. Campbell, 1987
Feeding habit hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref. Elner, R.W. and A.C. Campbell, 1987

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method original sample unfished population Remark
Troph s.e. Troph s.e.
From diet composition 3.70 0.39 4.22 0.68 Troph of juv./adults.
From individual food items 3.36 0.59 Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref. Sainte-Marie, B. and D. Chabot, 2002
(e.g. 9948)
(e.g. cnidaria)
Comments & Corrections
 
 
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