Arthropod acoustic communication is a primary focus at the Patek Lab. Here you can find our acoustically oriented research projects along with sounds and video of spiny lobsters (Palinuridae) and mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda).
High speed video of a spiny lobster producing sound
California spiny lobsters (Panulirus interruptus) produce sound by rubbing the base of each antenna (plectrum) over an oblong "file" under each eye. Instead of using a typical arthropod mechanism in which a hard pick is dragged over a series of bumps (like crickets), spiny lobsters use "stick-slip"friction between a soft-tissue surface and a macroscopically smooth surface to generate a pulsatile sound. This video shows the punctuated movement that produces their "rasp" sound, solely due to friction between the two surfaces.
