Scouring the mangrove forest at low tide, a mound of mud a few meters away from the river can be observed. It is a mountain of mud with volcano-like holes on it. These mounds were built by the mud lobster or Thallasina. The mud lobster is buried deep inside the mound excavating mud.
The big mound of mud built by the mud lobster.
Lobsters are Not Scavengers
Lobsters usually hunt their food at night and contrary to popular belief, they are not scavengers. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), lobsters catch mainly fresh food including fish, crabs, clams, mussels, sea urchins, and even other lobsters.
The volcano-looking mounds facilitate capture of prey by the mud lobster. The prey may fall into the long, steep and relatively smooth burrows and fall or get trapped inside where the lobster crab will easily feed on it.
A peek inside one of the volcano-like holes.
Mounds Are Vital to Other Species
According to Wikipedia, the animal’s mounds are vital to other species like ants, crabs, mud shrimp, spider, snake, a species of mangrove (Excoecaria agallocha), and termites (again, no explanation why it is vital). Ecologically, this may be helpful but in relation to man’s activities, the mud crab is a pest. It can destroy paddies that surround prawn or fish farms.
Mud lobsters are eaten but the taste is bland or tasteless. It must be because of the nature of its prey.
Reference
18 March 2011
