Abstract
Significant research investment into tropical rock lobster (TRL) aquaculture production methods has led to a rapidly developing industry in Vietnam and, more recently, in Australia. The need for an effective formulated feed has been highlighted for both industries; however, feed intake has been a consistent limitation. Visual and chemical cues regulating feed recognition and consumption are expected to yield valuable data, leading to increased feed intake. Lobsters were placed in white- and grey-coloured enclosures to examine the effect of background colour on their feeding behaviour in terms of feeding occurrence and response time. The impact of background colour on TRL feeding behaviour found no statistically significant differences between TRL in white and grey enclosures, suggesting grayscale contrast does not directly affect feeding behaviour. Experiment 2 studied the effects of coloured feeding zones on feeding response in white enclosures. Yellow feeding zones led to a decreased feeding time (473 ± 443 s) and increased time spent feeding (168 ± 1832 s) compared to other colours, possibly due to the yellow-blue chromaticity (b*) contrast. Experiment 3 examined chemo-attractants (glycine, taurine and inositol) and their influence on the feeding behaviour of TRL, but no increased responses were observed. Experiments two and three assessed TRL feeding activity in morning and evening periods, highlighting their nocturnal behaviour, with more feeding occurring in the evening. This project enhances our understanding of photoreceptive and chemoreceptive factors affecting TRL feeding behaviour with formulated feed. It also reveals the potential for background colour changes to enhance marketable colours in commercial settings. Additionally, the study confirmed the effective use of animal tracking software (EthoVision XT) for lobster species tracking in future behavioural trials.