Spiny lobster development: where does successful metamorphosis to the puerulus occur?: a review

This review re-addresses the question: Where does metamorphosis to the puerulus mainly take place among the shallow-water palinurids? A decade ago we reviewed this ecological question in a paper that focused on phyllosomal development of the western rock lobster, Panulirus cygnus. The main region of occurrence of its metamorphosis was found to be in the slope region beyond the shelf break. Because the puerulus of P. cygnus is a non-feeding stage, it was hypothesised that metamorphosis will not occur until the final phyllosoma has reached some critical, and specific, level of stored energy reserves. For late larval development and successful metamorphosis of P. cygnus, the richest food resources seem to be located in the slope waters adjoining the shelf break off Western Australia. This, like most shelf break areas, is a region of higher zooplankton and micronekton biomass than is usually found further offshore, and is dominated (in winter-spring months) by the warm south-flowing Leeuwin Current. In this new review, distribution and abundance data of final phyllosomas and pueruli are examined from, Panulirusargus, Panulirus cygnus, Panulirus japonicus, Panulirus ornatus and Jasus edwardsii, and where possible, related to features of the satellite imagery of the areas in which they occur. We hypothesise that metamorphosis will occur where the final stages have partaken of sufficient, appropriate nutrition to provide them with a reserve of bioenergetic resources, and this can occur where oceanographic fronts effect greater planktonic productivity and concentrations of food organisms. This may be near the shelf-break, or out to large distances offshore, because of large-scale oceanographic events such as the prevailing current system, its off-shoots, mesoscale eddy fronts, counter-currents, etc. However, we contend that, in terms of population recruitment, metamorphosis in most shallow-water palinurid species occurs mainly in the slope waters adjoining the shelf break of the region to which the species is endemic. Although some final phyllosomas may metamorphose much further offshore, it is unlikely that these pueruli will reach the shore, let alone settle and successfully moult to the juvenile stage. All of the data indicate that successful metamorphosis from the final-stage phyllosoma to the puerulus stage in all species occurs offshore but close to the continental shelf

Characteristics of the spiny lobsters (pmulirus spp.) from the commercial catch in puerto morelos, quintana roo, mexico

Se analiza la estructura por especie, sexo y tallas, y el estado reproductivo de las hembras de langostas capturadas durante la temporada de pesca de julio 1992 a febrero 1993 en Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, en el Caribe mexicano. De un total de 3,549 colas de langosta muestreadas, el 93.9% correspondió a Panulirus argus, el 5.96% a P. guttatus y el 0.14% a P. laevicauda. Se midió la longitud abdominal (LA) de todos los ejemplares. Los datos de P. argus y P. guttatus se transformaron a longitud cefalotorácica (LC) a partir de ecuaciones de regresión obtenidas con ejemplares completos. La proporción de sexos de P. argus fue cercana a la unidad. En ambos sexos, la muestra total presento una moda en 140-150 mm LA. La talla media mensual fue inferior en los cuatro primeros meses de la temporada de pesca que en los cuatro restantes. Estas diferencias parecen deberse a cambios en las localidades de pesca, en un gradiente de sur a norte, a lo largo de la temporada, aunque no se descarta una posible influencia de la migración masiva invernal de langostas en zonas más al norte de Puerto Morelos. Se registraron hembras ovígeras durante todos los meses, con el mayor porcentaje en febrero (22.6) y un pico menor en agosto y septiembre. La hembra ovígera más pequeña midió 130 mm LA (67.8 mm LC), pero la mayoría de las hembras en este estado se encontraron a partir de los l60-170 mm LA (90-95 mm LC). La proporción de sexos de P. guttatus presentó un sesgo hacia los machos, de 1.7: 1. La talla media se ubicó en 128 mm LA (71.3 mm LC). También se encontraron hembras ovígeras de esta especie todos los meses. Se comparan los resultados con los registrados por diversos autores en otras localidades. The spiny lobster catch from Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, on the Mexican Caribbean coast, was analyzed in terms of species and sex composition, size distribution and reproductive condition of females, during the July 1992 to February 1993 fishing season. A total of 3,549 lobster tails were sampled; 93.9% belonged to Panulirus argus, 5.96% to P. guttatus, and 0.14% to P. laevicauda. The abdominal length (AL) of all the specimens was measured. The AL data of P. argus and P. guttatus was transformed to carapace length (CL) by means of regression equations obtained from whole animals. The ratio of P. argus was close to the unity. In both sexes, the total sample showed a mode in 140-150 mm AL. The monthly mean size was smaller during the first four months of the fishing season than during the rest of months. These differences seem related to changes in the fishing localities, on a south to north gradient, throughout the fishing season. However, a possible influence of the lobster winter mass migration in areas north of Puerto Morelos in not excluded. Ovigerous females were recorded every month, with the highest percentage (22.6) in February, and a lesser peak in August and September. The smallest ovigerous female measured 130 mm AL (67.8 mm CL), but most of the ovigerous females were found from 160-170 mm AL (90-95 mm CL). The sex ratio of P. guttatus was biased towards males (1.7:1). The mean size was 128 mm AL (71.3 mm CL). Ovigerous females of the species also occurred every month. Results form this study are compared to those recorded by several authors in other localities

Effects of autotomy on long-term survival and growth of painted spiny lobster (Panulirus versicolor) on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The effects of autotomy (shedding of appendages) on survival and growth rates of painted spiny lobster were investigated at Northwest Island (23° 18′ S, 152° 43′ E) during the period 2003–2006. Adult lobsters were captured, tagged, and classified as either uninjured (n = 68), minimally injured (n = 39) or moderately injured (n = 19) depending on the number and type of appendages that were autotomized during capture and handling. Six to thirty-six months after release, 86 lobsters were recaptured (mean time at large = 305 days). Recapture rates of uninjured (64.7%), minimally injured (71.8%), and moderately injured lobsters (73.7%) were not significantly different. Similarly, mean annualized growth rates of uninjured, minimally injured, and moderately injured lobsters were not significantly different. This suggests that the energetic cost of a single episode of autotomy is either negligible or exists as a trade-off with some other life history trait, such as reduced reproductive performance. These results support the use of certain management tools (e.g., size limits) that prescribe release of non-legal lobsters, regardless of their injury status