DOI: 10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw78t
title: Data from: Social attraction to a predatory black hole: A natural ecological trap for lobsters

description: This dataset supports an investigation of an unusual natural ecological
 trap whereby social juvenile Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus)
 are drawn to solution hole dens by the scent of larger conspecifics
 dwelling there, but where predatory red grouper (Epinephelus morio) also
 lurk. Although lobsters are sensitive to odors from food, healthy and
 diseased conspecifics, and other predators such as octopus, our
 experiments revealed that lobsters cannot detect the scent of groupers. As
 a consequence, the mortality of small juvenile lobsters was 30% higher
 near solution holes occupied by grouper, as compared to larger lobsters
 that are invulnerable to the gape-limited grouper predator. By preying on
 small lobsters, grouper negatively skewed lobster size distributions up to
 16m away from the solution hole liar that they patrol. Our results provide
 one of the clearest examples of a natural ecological trap, in which the
 normally advantageous social cue of large conspecifics lures young
 lobsters to what is a predatory death trap.
description: # Data from: Social attraction to a predatory black hole: A natural
 ecological trap for lobsters Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw78t](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw78t) ##
 Description of the data and file structure The dataset includes
 information on benthic habitat structure, lobster population structure,
 lobster mark-recapture results, and lobster tethering results at 24
 hard-bottom habitat field sites in the Florida Keys, Florida (USA), 12
 sites with and 12 sites without large solution holes harboring red
 grouper. A metadata description is included in the dataset. All of the
 column descriptors for each worksheet in the Excel file are described on
 the worksheet titled "Metadata." ### Files and variables ####
 File: Lobster_Eco-Trap_Master_Data_File.xls **Description:** metadata
 variables ##### Variables #### Sponge and Coral Transect Sheet | Column |
 Description | | :----- | :---------------------------------------------- |
 | SITE | site name | | DATE | date of collection | | TRANS# | transect
 number for each 2m x 25m belt transect | | SPL-L | count of large
 loggerhead sponge; &gt; 20 mm dia | | SPL-S | count of small loggerhead
 sponge; 5 - 20 mm dia | | SPV-L | count of large vase sponge; &gt; 20 mm
 dia | | SPV-S | count of small vase sponge; 5 - 20 mm dia | | SPO-L |
 count of all other large sponges; &gt; 20 mm dia | | SPO-S | count of all
 other small sponges; 5 - 20 mm dia | | SOL-L | count of large solution
 holes; &gt; 20 mm dia | | SOL-S | count of small solution holes; 5 - 20 mm
 dia | | SWP-C | count of angular seawhip complexes | | SWP-S | count of
 singular angular seawhips | | SWT-C | count of sea plume complexes | |
 SWT-S | count of singular seaplumes | | SWO-C | count of other seawhip
 complexes | | SWO-S | count of other singular seawhips | | C | count of
 coral heads | | BLOCK | count of artificial structures | | SOL | count of
 solution holes | #### Mark-Recapture Sheet | Column | Description | |
 :------ |
 :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | SITE | site name | | DATE | date study started | | QUAD | number designating which of the four 25m x 25m quadrats on site where lobster was found | | SHELTER | the shelter type in which the lobster was found | | TAG | lobster tag number | | SEX | lobster sex | | MOLT | lobster molt condition (intermolt, pre-molt, post-molt) | | SIZE | lobster carapace length (mm) | | NOTES | notes | #### Lobster Population Structure Sheet | Column | Description | | :------ | :------------------------------------------------------ | | SITE | site name | | DATE | date study started | | HABITAT | shelter type in which the lobster was found | | SEX | lobster sex | | MOLT CO | lobster molt condition (intermolt, pre-molt, post-molt) | | INJ OLD | old injuries | | INJ NEW | new injuries | | WEIGHT | lobster weight (g) | | CL | lobster carapace length (mm) | | MOLT ST | lobster molt stage (see Lyle and MacDonald) | | TAG | lobster tag | | NOTES | notes | #### Tethering 2009-2010 Sheet | Column | Description | | :-------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Observers | initials of who collected the data | | Date | date | | Site | site name | | Trt | tethered to the solution hole site or the control site | | Type | site details | | Sex | lobster sex | | CL | lobster carapace length (mm) | | size cat | small juvenile lobster (&lt; 25 mm CL) or large juvenile lobster (25 - 65 mm CL) | | 24 hrs | alive after 24 hours? | | 48 hrs | alive after 48 hrs? | | Comments | comments | #### Tethering 2008 Sheet | Column | Description | | :------------- | :----------------------------------------------------- | | SITE | site name | | DATE | date of study start | | TREATMENT | tethered to the solution hole site or the control site | | POSITION | meters from the solution hole | | SEX | lobster sex | | CL | lobster carapace length (mm) | | DISEASE STATUS | visibly diseased or not | | 24HRS | alive after 24 hours? | | 48HRS | alive after 48 hrs? | | COMMENTS | comments |