Maintenance of dominance is mediated by urinary chemical signals in male European lobsters, Homarus gammarus

• Published in: Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology
• Main Authors: Chandrapavan, A., Breithaupt, T., Skog, M., Hallberg, E.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor and Francis 2009
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Physiology; Oceanography; Homarus gammarus
• Online Access: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/396190; https://doi.org/10.1080/10236240902833729

We studied the relevance of urine cues in Homarus gammarus dominance maintenance, hypothesising that urinary signals are necessary to mediate recognition of former opponents. Males in size-matched pairs interacted on two consecutive days with or without blocking urine release by adding catheters to both contestants on the second day. European lobsters established dominance in a first fight, and fight duration and aggression levels decreased strongly from first to second day in animals with free urine release, indicating the maintenance of this dominance relationship. If urine was blocked on the second day, fight durations were long in both first and second day interactions. Results demonstrate that urine signals contribute to the maintenance of dominance in H. gammarus males.