The behaviour of juvenile European lobsters (Homarus gammarus) in the wild is little understood. A laboratory system was designed with a maze-like environment as an alternative to the large technological expenditure of a field study. It provided an apparently endless runway with uniform thigmotactical cues. Juvenile lobsters having a total length of 68 to 115 mm were studied. The lobsters showed an extensive nocturnal locomotory activity. They established home shelters in which they spent the day and covered distances of 1200 to 1600 m during the night. On average, the lobsters performed 136 excursions from their shelters, of which 10% led only to the immediate surroundings of the shelters. Of all the excursions 90% were shorter than 16 m. In some exceptional cases distances of several hundred meters were covered in the maze between shelter visits. Excursions of less than 16 m lasted on average less than 5 min. The frequencies of shelter visits during the dark phase were highest in small lobsters (300 visits) and lowest in larger lobsters (50 visits). The time spent within shelters decreased from 10% to less than 2% with lobster size. A distinct change in behaviour was obvious at a body length of 75 to 80mm. Smaller lobsters behaved defensively and relied on shelter protection. Larger lobsters were less dependent on shelter protection and thus were able to explore and utilize their environment more intensively. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd.