VOLUME EIGHT JULY 1995 NUMBER ONE

1 RESEARCH NEWS %e‘St det 66 '\TSHERIES AND A Trans-Atlantic Perspective on QUACULTURE Homa rus Recruitment UPDATE

FROM: RICHARD A. WAHLE FISHERIES OF INDIA For the better part of a decade scientists in New England and the Cana- dian Maritimes have made important strides in understanding the pro- cesses that in fluencing the benthic recruitment of the . FROM: E.V. RADHAKR15HNAN Published reports have identified cobble and boulder as an important nursery habitat for (Hudon 1987, Wahle & Steneck 1991, Incze & Spiny lobsters form one of the Wahle 1991), and in many ways this habitat remains one of the last fron- most valuable re- tiers of descriptive benthic ecology. That is because cobble defies tradi- sources of India. The richness of tional sampling techniques. For example, cores and grabs used in sand the lobster fauna is brought about and mud tend to break on cobble, and photo-quadrats just do not tell the by the range of habitats available - whole story. For cobble, the suction sampling method has opened a win- rock and mud through to coral dow not only on early benthic phase lobsters, but on the associated fauna reef. Annual landings increased as well. This tool has allowed us to begin leaming how potentially com- from 350 t in 1965 to 3,000 t in peting species may influence lobster recruitment. Here I make a trans- 1975, but declined sharply to 680 t Atlantic comparison of cobble habitat fauna that reveals dramatically in 1980. The fishery recovered to higher species diversity, but lower numbers of in Europe than 4,100 t in 1985, but has generally in New England. This suggests a multispecies approach to recruitment declined since then (Fig. 1). Slipper issues is warranted. lobsters also are taken commer- cially. In the autumn of 1994, I worked with John Mercer, of the Shellfish Re- search Laboratory of University College, Galway, Ireland, who coordi- Distribution nated my dive surveys of sites on the southwest coast where a lobster Spiny lobsters are widespread CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE along the 6,100 km coast of India (which includes the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the RECENT EVENTS Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands). The major fisher- Taxonomic Changes ies are in the northwest (Veravel and Bombay), the southwest (Colachel) and the southeast Two recent bring tidings of a new genus Nephropid publications of (Tuticorin, Mandapam, and Ma- lobster and a new species of the Palinurid genus Palinuslus. dras) (Fig. 2). Among the nine spiny lobsters present, Panulirus Kornfield, Williams and Steneck (1995 . Bull. 93: 97-102) report that polyphagus, P. homa rus, P. orna tus, the Cape lobster of South Africa, Homarus capensis (Herbst, 1792) should and the deep sea lobster, Puerulus be transferred to the monotypic new genus Homarinus. The species is sewelli, are the most significant known from only a few specimens. The known individuals are small commercial species. P. versicolor CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 In New England the picture is fairly both groups. Four other decapod RESEARCH NEWS simple; diversity is relatively low families dominated: xanthid crabs, (Fig. 1). In the Gulf of Maine, galatheids, porcellanids, alpheids. CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Hornarus americanus and Cancer At least two to three species were stock enhancement program was irroratus , the rock crab, are by far found in each family. We were ending its second year of hatch- the two most abundant subtidal indeed disappointed not to find ery-releases (Mercer and Brown, species in cobble. (Carcinus maenas, newly settled H. gammarus even at 1994). I also traveled to the Chan- the green crab, is more abundant "ground-zero" of the Irish release nel Islands, UK, which, dispite intertidally). Cancer borealis, the sites. Despite differences in faunal their small size, have some of the Jonah crab, common as adults in composition, the collective densi- largest lobster landings in Europe. traps, is extremely rare as juveniles. ties were similar on both sides of In the northern Gulf of Maine these the Atlantic, ranging between 20- Remarkably, there are still no decapods were far less abundant 80 individuals per square meter. reports of newly settled European than to the south and west, an his- lobsters in the wild, providing an toric pattern for which the mecha- Small individuals dominated the added challenge for our efforts. By nism is still unresolved. In southern populations (Fig. 2) with size November's end we had sampled New England though, xanthid modes between 5 and 15 mm CL eight sites in three study areas. crabs add to the mix of decapods, or CW which, for a least the por- Here, I compare the diversity, and tend to be most abundant celain crabs, xanthid crabs, and abundance, and diversity of taxa where Cancer is not. snapping shrimp approximates to that noted with equivalent sam- the adult size. Only those species pling effort in New England In Ireland and the Channel Islands, that get much bigger (i.e., greater cobble beds. I restrict this report to in contrast, species diversity was than 30-40 mm), like lobsters and non-hermit crab, shelter-dwelling much higher (Fig. 1), but Homarus Cancer spp., do not maintain life- decapods inhabiting cobbles dur- and Cancer were least abundant in long association with cobble. ing part or all of their lives. Europe despite major fisheries for

NEW ENGLAND, USA IRELAND & UK HOMARUS TLôbster 11L.11 ^Z6FCFIL=. NEWSLETTER

CANCER Editors: L John Booth MAF Fisheries, Greta Point xANTHIDs P.O. Box 297, Wellington NEW ZEALAND N FAX: (4) 386 0574 E jdb@f rc.maffish.govt.nz Z cALArHE1DS J. Stanley Cobb Department of Zoology University of Rhode Island Kingston R! 02881 USA ALPHEIDS FAX: (401) 792 4256 [email protected]

John Pringle Fisheries and Oceans PO Box 550 Halifax B3J 2S7 CANADA FAX: (902) 426 3479 j_prin [email protected]

The Lobster Newsletter is cospon- sored by Fisheries & Oceans, Canada and the Rhode Island Sea Grant Program. It is published twice yearly. GIElEN6E1 6 SNE CHANNEL GULF OF MAINE IRELAND ISLANDS, UK Figure 1. Average population densities (+ ISE) of decapod fauna in cobble habitats of New England Please send change of address to John Pringle. and Ireland/Channe! Islands. Each bar represents a study site where twelve 0.5 ml quadrats were suction sampled. SNE = southern New England. -1

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 2 7 i

Why didn't we detect young lob- A second hypothesis is that postlar- but we know very little about the sters? If commercial landings are a val H. gamma rus is not as ecologi- carrying capacity of these habitats reasonable index of abundance, cally similar to H. americanus as as forH. gammarus. For the American it's possible our sampling effort assumed; perhaps it prefers a nurs- lobster though, we have deter- was inadequate to detect ery habitat other than cobble? That mined carrying capacity through H.gammarus. Recent landings of explanation seems unlikely too, saturation seeding experiments of Homarus throughout Europe have however, given the similarity to H. standardized cobble plots where only been about 1/40th of North americanus in shelter-seeking behav- quantity of cobble was manipu- American landings, about equiva- ior and habitat preference (Berrill lated (Wahle & Incze in review). lent to the landings of the state of 1974). All the early benthic phase H. From those experiments carrying Rhode Island. (Ireland and the UK gammarus in a seawater pond at the capacity was estimated to be at the comprise about 3/4 of Europe's hatchery were under rocks, shells, highest benthic recruitment den- landings). Densities of lobsters of and plastic placed on the bottom for sity seen in nature, around 5 - 6/ all sizes in central Maine (USA) cover. Moreover, with the sampling mz. This low putative carrying cobble beds average about 3 - 5/ effort that has gone into other habi- capacity suggests there are space mz; and one-fortieth of that would tats over the years, such as sedi- requirements beyond shelter we give a density of 0.07 - 0.12 /m2. ment coring, one is hard pressed to do not yet understand for the At that density, according to Pois- think what other habitat they might American lobster. son analysis, we would expect our occupy. sampling effort of 108 half-square- Nonetheless, all these taxa seem to meter quadrats to produce 102 New En;;1aIl(i Ireland &-UK have similar habitat requirements, quadrats with no lobsters and 6 but we have little knowledge of

with one lobster. Thus, by this CANCER the nature of the interaction. We coarse analysis with no correction clearly need to devise models and for fishing effort or coast length, experiments to test hypotheses, we might have expected very few J1 I because the benefit will be a lobsters. Our less systematic vi- greater insight into the recruit- sual searches, totaling five addi- ment process as wcll as the effi- tional dive-hours, did produce cacy of stock enhancement. In any two lobsters: a large berried fe- case, there seems to be a need to male at 110 mm CL, and a juvenile go beyond the single species ap- at 40 mm. proach to fully understand the factors that influence recruitment Why would the European lobster of a target fishery like Homarus. be rare in cobble if it is ecologi- cally similar to the American lob- LITERATURE CITED ster? Several untested hypotheses exist. First, fishing has undoubt- Berrill, M. 1974. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK 54: 797-801. edly depleted stocks, and al- Hudon, C. 1987. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 44: though there is a minimum 1855- 1869. harvestable size, there is no con- Mercer, J.P. & Brown, R. 1994. Aquaculture sistent protection for egg-bearing in Ireland. (Apr-May): 20-24 females throughout the species Incze, L.S. & R. A. Wahle. 1991. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 79: 77-87. range, so larval production is Wahle, R.A. & R.S. Steneck. 1991. Mar. likely to be quite low. But that Figure 2. Representative size composition of Ecol. Prog. Ser. 69: 231-243. explanation seems insufficient to decapod populations from cobble habitats in New explain the apparent absence of England and Ireland/Channel Islands. Richard A. Wahle new recruits at the Irish release Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean sites seeded with tens of thou- A third hypothesis is that species Sciences sands of hatchery-reared lobsters interactions might inhibit successful West Boothbay Harbor, Maine 04575 over two years. recruitment to the benthos. This explanation seems consistent with the data presented here. There are, however, many unknowns when it comes to species interactions. What is the nature of interaction, preda- tory or competitive? If it is competi- tive, what is the limiting resource? Shelter is likely to be at least one, CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 3 quently used by P. japonicus and nae which bear few or no visible RESEARCH NEWS whether habitat use is consistent hairs. Pueruli characteristically between localities. raise these antennae up and down, CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE often in a flicking motion, raising Of the various habitats we exam- one side while lowering the other. Sampling Puerulus and ined, only holes in rock faces and From the first stage onwards, ju- Gelidium spp. (tengusa in Japanese), veniles have highly pigmented Juvenile Spiny Lobsters a fine leafed red seaweed, were 2nd antennae bearing many fine from Shallow Rock used by puerulus and juvenile P. hairs. The 2nd antennae of juve- japonicus in the natural environ- niles are more flexible and move Reefs using SCUBA ment. The distribution of dense in a less rigid motion than those of beds of Gel idium spp. is restricted in the puerulus. The 2nd antennae of FROM: C. NORMAN AND Japan. Even at those localities juveniles orient towards any in- T. YOSHIMURA where Gelidium is dense, holes ap- truder and may also beat in shal- pear to be preferred. At 6 sites low up and down movements. The study of the settlement pro- along the southern coast of Japan Both these movement patterns, cess of puerulus and juvenile the principal habitat of puerulus once observed, can be useful in stages of spiny lobsters has been stage and early juvenile P. japonicus the location of pueruli and juve- hampered by difficulties in locat- was holes in the rock face of niles. To notice the movement it is ing and quantitatively sampling nearshore reefs (Yoshimura et al, often easiest to look obliquely specimens in their natural habitat. 1994; Norman et al., 1994). Holes along the rock face. Once your eye The habitat of settled puerulus used by pueruli and early juveniles is 'in,' if puerulus are present, and early stage juveniles appears appear to be of various origins, but finding them and juvenile stage to vary between species and may those of dead pholads appear to be lobster may be easier than first also vary within species between used where available. Pholads bore anticipated. localities. Reported habitats of into rock and form often spherical, settled puerulus on natural sub- smooth and straight holes that may Capturing pueruli is very simple. strates can be split into at least 2 penetrate deep into a rock face. To We use a clear plastic bag (ap- groups: capture specimens in this habitat proximately 5-10 cm wide by 10- and other hole systems we use a 15 cm long - size depending on the 1) algal/vegetation dwelling, simple technique to remove small size of to be taken) and 2 e.g. Zostera beds (Panulirus inter- from holes without lengths of wire. The plastic bag is ruptus, Serfling & Ford, 1975), damaging them so that they can be made into a net by making a circu- Laurencia spp. and mangrove tagged and retumed to the same lar loop of wire and attaching it roots (P. argus, Witham et al., hole intact. around the mouth of the plastic 1964; Marx & Hermkind, 1985); bag. While diving, on observing a and The main problem with sampling specimen for sampling, the bag is pueruli from rock reefs is initially placed over the hole and over the 2)rock face/hole dwelling, e.g. locating the specimens to be second antennae protruding from holes in limestone reefs (P. sampled. Our repeated dives in it. Then the other piece of wire is cygnus, Jernakoff, 1990) and in southern Japan show pueruli to be pierced through the bag and in- pholad (bivalve) holes (Jasus most abundant in holes on inclined serted into the hole. Gently teasing edwardsii, Booth, 1979). or vertical faces in the proximity to the telson/uropod region incites the stem and holdfast of large an escape response and the animal Pueruli of P. japonicus have been brown or red algae. At first, locat- will flee the hole and is caught in sampled from a broad range of ing the pueruli requires some prac- the plastic bag. We have used this artificial habitats as well as from tice, however once you 'get your technique to sample approxi- both algal Gelidium spp. (Fushimi, eye in' then spending a dive mately 700 juvenile lobsters and 1978) and rock reef face holes puerulus hunting can be quite re- several hundred stomatopods. It (Yoshimura & Yamakawa, 1988). warding. Movement of the 2nd requires some practice - particular For the past 10 years or so, Profes- antennae can be very helpful. care should be taken in gently sor H. Yamakawa (Tokyo Univer- Pueruli and early juveniles of P. teasing as opposed to macerating sity of Fisheries) and Taku japonicus sit at the openings of the and sampling the animal in parts! Yoshimura have been examining holes with their 2nd antennae pro- the settlement behavior of truding out. Their 2nd antennae are One of us (Yoshimura) has found puerulus and ecology of juvenile the first portion of the body to pig- hole dwelling in two other species, P. japonicus. Our research has con- ment and the color progressively P. longipes and P. penicillatus, as centrated on determining which darkens once settled. Pueruli have well. Holes are a settlement site habitat (algal or hole) is most fre- relatively short, straight 2nd anten- for pueruli and preferred habitat

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 4 during the early juvenile stages cursor to the molting hormone, by muscle, epidermis, and eyestalk (Yoshimura et a1.,1994). We are the molting gland (Y-organ) (re- neural tissue, only those from very interested in determining if viewed by Chang, 1993). Ecdysone this hole dwelling behavior by premolt lobsters cross-reacted is then hydroxylated by target and with the antibody as shown by the pueruli is an exception or is the other tissues to form the active norm for spiny lobsters. We immunocytochemistry. Intermolt molting hormone 20-hydroxy- tissues did not cross-react. Sec- would like to hear of observations ecdysone (20E). This paradigm has tions of eyestalk neural tissue of puerulus or juvenile spiny lob- been developed over the past cen- sters from reef face holes or other showed cytoplasmic localization tury. Recent research, however, of the EcR in the neuroendocrine natural substrate. Happy puerulus indicates that other factors, both hunting! cells of the X-organ/sinus gland inhibitory and stimulatory, may complex. These results indicate regulate molting. Literature Cited that in addition to the rising con- centration of ecdysteroids at pre- Booth, J. D. 1979. N.Z. J. Mar. Fresh. Res. Molting Hormones (Ecdysteroids) molt, the concurrent appearance 13(3): 395-406. of cellular receptor molecules may Fushimi, H. 1978. Benthos Res. 15/16: 60- Injections of 20E have been known be necessary for successful 66. (in Japanese). for many years to shorten the Jernakoff, P. 1990. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 66: ecdysis. 63-74. intermolt period when the injec- Marx, J. M. & W. F. Herrnkind 1983. Bull. tions are made prior to premolt. We Molt-Inhibiting Hormone Mar. Sci. 36(3): 423-431. recently demonstrated, however, Norman, C. P., H. Yamakawa & T. that a single injection of exogenous The synthesis Yoshimura, 1994. Crustaceana 66(3): and/or secretion of 366-383. 20E during premolt results in a ecdysone by the Y-organ appears Serfling, S. A. & R. F. Ford, 1975. Fish. Bull. subsequent delay in ecdysis (Cheng to be inhibited by the neuropep- (U.S.) 73:360-377. and Chang, 1991). We concluded tide called molt-inhibiting hor- Witham, R. R., R. M. Ingle, H. W. Sims, that both the initial rise in circulat- mone (MIH). MIH is synthesized 1964. Quart. J. Florida Acad. Sci. 27: ing hormone concentration and a 289-297. - by the eyestalk X-organ neurons Yoshimura, T. & H. Yamakawa, 1988. J. coordinated decline are necessary and stored in the sinus gland, a Crust. Biol. 8(4): 524-531. for successful molting. neurohemal organ. We recently Yoshimura, T., H. Yamakawa & C. P. reported the complete amino acid Norman, 1994. Crustaceana 66(3): 357- The primary secretory product of 365. sequence of lobster MIH (Chang et the Y-organ is ecdysone but the al., 1990; Chang, 1995). A closely Chris Norman situation is more complex than first related neuropeptide from the Taku Yoshirnura thought. Other researchers have lobster eyestalk sinus gland is the observed the Y-organs of some Seikai National Fisheries Research crustacean hyperglycemic hor- crabs to secrete other ecdysteroids, Institute mone (CHH) which regulates the namely 3-dehydroecdysone and 25- 49 Kokubu-machi, Nagasaki, 850 hemolymph level of glucose. Lob- JAPAN deoxyecdysone. More research ster MIH has high hyperglycemic must be conducted on the determi- activity. Lobster CHH, however, nation of the ratios of the different has low MIH activity. Our desig- Current Research on the ecdysteroids secreted by the Y- nation of these peptides as MIH organs of various species at differ- and CHH are a consequence of Hormonal Control of ent developmental times. these observed differences in ac- Crustacean Molting tivity. Their actual physiological The response to the molting hor- roles remain to be fully elucidated. mones may be mediated not only FROM: E. CHANG CHH may also play a role in os- by the concentration of the hor- moregulation in H. americanus mone, but by the concentration of Unlike most other lob- (Charmantier-Daures et al., 1994). specific hormone receptors. With sters, and all other , The actual role of the individual collaborators (El Haj et al., must shed their confining exoskel- 1994), we members of this family of multi- identified ecdysteroid receptors etons in order to increase in size. functional peptides in vivo re- (EcR) in walking log extensor Many physiological events pre- mains to be determined. muscle and eyestalk neural tissue of cede ecdysis in the course of the the lobster Hornarus americanus, molt cycle. The current paradigm Another member of this peptide using a monoclonal antibody to the of the hormonal control of molting hormone family is the vitellogen- EcR of Drosophila melanogaster. in decapod Crustacea is that a Pro- esis-inhibiting hormone of H. tein blots using the EcR antibody factor from the eyestalk sinus americanus (Soyez et al., 1991). As hybridized with a 95-110 kiloDalton gland, a molt-inhibiting hormone far as I know, the activity of this protein from the lobster tissues (MIH), inhibits the synthesis and/ peptide has not yet been reported examined. Of the tissues examined, or secretion of ecdysone, the pre- in either CHH or MIH assays. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 5 After 48 hr, the larvae incubated Phyllosoma Larvae in RESEARCH NEWS with exogenous MF had signifi- cantly higher levels of ecdysteroids the South-east Atlantic: CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE compared to control larvae cultured A Case for Long-Dis- with water only (Chang et al., 1993). Thus the CHH/MIH/VIH peptide tance Dispersal family appears to be a novel With the increasing interest in the group of crustacean neuropep- aquaculture and fisheries of lob- FROM: D.E. POLLOCK, G. BAILEY, tides that include representatives sters and other decapod crusta- AND P. VAN DER BYL from the major decapod groups. ceans, there will be an increased requirement for knowledge about Some intriguing results have Stimulation of Molting by the basic biology of these animals. emerged from two large-scale Methyl Farnesoate As more research is conducted in oceanographic survey cruises in the area of crustacean endocrinol- the S.E. Atlantic, one conducted in It has recently been reported that ogy, I think will further modifica- March 1989 (cf. Pollock 1991), the crustaceans have a terpenoid hor- tions to the paradigm of the hor- other in June 1992. During both mone that is homologous to the monal control of molting will have surveys, which had multi-disci- insect juvenile hormone (JH; Borst to be made. plinary physical/chemical oceano- et al., 1987; Laufer et al., 1987). This graphic objectives, standard one- hormone is methyl farnesoate Literature Cited hour tows were made nightly with (MF), an unepoxidated precursor research midwater trawls in ob- Borst, D. W., H. Laufer, M. Landau, E. S. of JH III. The glandular source of Chang, W. A. Hertz, F. C. Baker, and D. lique tows from approximately MF is the mandibular organ. We A. Schooley. 1987. Insect Biochem. 100 m to near-surface. Station previously demonstrated that 17:1123-1127. positions on the first survey, to- exogenously added MF has a Chang, E. S. 1993. Ann. Rev. Entomol. gether with numbers of phyllo- on 38:161-180. soma larvae captured are shown small, yet significant effect Chang, E. S. 1995. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. larval lobsters (Borst et al., 1987). Submitted. in Figure 1 [reproduced from Pol- Chang, E. S., M. J. Bruce, and S. L Tamone. lock (1991)]. The results show that Many years ago, we observed that 1993. Amer. Zool. 33:324-329. Jas us larvae (most likely a mixture implantation of crab mandibular Chang, E. S., G. D. Prestwich, and M. J. of both the oceanic island species Bruce. 1990. Biochem. Biophys. Res. organs into shrimp resulted in Commun. 171:818-826. I. tristani and the continental spe- more frequent molting resulting in Charmantier-Daures, M., G. Charmantier, K. cies I. lalandii) were distributed shortened molt cycles (Yudin et al., P. C. Janssen, D. E. Aiken, and F. Van widely in high densities across 1980). The molt stimulation was Herp. 1994. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. some 3,000 km of ocean, some 94:281-293. larvae even being found to the not due to ecdysteroid secretion Cheng, J.-H. and E. S. Chang. 1991. Biol. Bull. by the mandibular organ. Stimu- 181:169-174. west (i.e. up-current) of Tristan da lated by these earlier observations, El Haj, A. J., P. Harrison, and E. S. Chang. Cunha Island. These larvae were we examined the effects of MF on 1994. J. Exp. Zool. 270:343-349. captured by a midwater trawl net crustacean ecdysteroid production Laufer, H., D. Borst, F. C. Baker, C. Carrasco, with a mouth opening of 8 in2 (the M. Sinkus, C. C. Reuter, L. W. Tsai, and both in vitro and in vivo. Crab D. A. Schooley. 1987. Science 235:202-205. RMT-8 net), towed at a speed of (Cancer magister) molting glands Soyez, D., J. P. Le Caer, P. Y. Noel, and J. approximately 2.5 knots. were cocultured with or without a Rossier. 1991. Neuropeptides 20:25-32. crab mandibular organ. The cul- Tamone, S. L., and E. S. Chang. 1993. Gen. Figure 2, from the more recent medium for Comp. Endocrinol. 89:425-432. international ture was assayed Yudin, A. I., R. A. Diener, W. H. Clark, Jr., BEST-1 survey (June ecdysteroids using radioimmu- and E. S. Chang. 1980. Biol. Bull. 159:760- 1992) shows station positions, noassay. Those molting glands 772. together with the numbers of jas us cocultured with a mandibular and Panulirus larvae captured. The organ had significantly higher Ernest S. Chang Methot midwater trawl net, with a levels of ecdysteroids in culture Bodega Marine Laboratory mouth opening of 5 m2, captured after 12 hr (Tamone and Chang, University of California surprisingly large numbers of 1993). We have not yet repeated P.O. Box 247, Bodega Bay Panulirus larvae together with the this experiment with lobsters due CA 94923 expected high densities of Jasus to the difficulty in culturing lob- USA larvae. Examination of the ster Y-organs. In another experi- Panulirus larvae by experts in Aus- ment, exogenous MF was added tralia (Drs. Paddy Berry and to the culture water containing Paulette McWilliam) indicated first stage larval lobsters. At vari- that nearly all the Panulirus larvae ous times, these larvae were ex- belonged to a single species, P. tracted for ecdysteroids and as- versicolor. Surprising results in- sayed using radioimmunoassay. deed, because P. versicolor is a

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 6 tropical Indian Ocean species. The successful recruitment would ap- REFERENCES findings therefore suggest that pear to be a pronounced ability for Pollock, D.E. 1991. 5.. Ail. I. jia. SQ. 10: 1- large numbers of phyllosoma lar- phyllosoma larvae to delay meta- 12 vae originating in the Indian morphosis until they reach areas Ocean must have been transported suitable for settlement. A major D.E. Pollock by the Agulhas current into the challenge remains to identify what G. Bailey Cape Basin during the months cues are responsible for triggering P. van der Byl preceding the survey. Transport of metamorphosis of final-stage larvae Sea Fisheries Research Institute heat, salt and biological material into the puerulus stage. Private Bag X2 from the Indian Ocean to the Rogge Bay 8012 South-east Atlantic is known to take place via the shedding of SOUTH AFRICA rings and eddies of Agulhas cur- rent water near the Agulhas cur- rent retroflection area into the S.E. Atlantic, but this is the first evi- dence obtained from a purely biological source, of large volume transport of thermocline water between the two oceans.

Contrary to some earlier observa- 25Vemo tions (see Research News article in Vol. 5, No. 2 of the Lobster News- letter), the results presented here suggest that phyllosoma larvae (including those of certain Jasus 48 species) are not always, as a gen- 194 eral rule, confined to the vicinity of adult stocks, but may be mixed i7 widely over vast distances of 4d' Il Ga,9h. .23 ocean, and are even capable of Î .0'5;------3"""^__ being transported from one ocean I basin to another by ocean currents. W 15° 10° 5` 0° 5° 10° 15° 20°E In other instances, however, Figure 1. Location of RMT-8 stations occupied by F.R.S. A)4icana showing numbers of Jasus larvae phyllosoma larvae appear to be caught per one-half hour tow (From Pollock, 1991) largely retained within distinct oceanographic regions, as in the well-documented case of larvae of Panulirus cygnus off Western Aus- oden•z tralia.

These findings suggest that a vari- '2. 222. 6660 ^ 4• 150 8 2 3 ety of larval transport and return 3 mechanisms may exist, with some 2 'APE ^ `VowN species occurring in regions where 17o 110 local larval retention predomi- 2 1 nates (eg. Western Australia), CAPE BASIN Trislan do while others occur in regions char- cMha acterized by much larger spatial distributions within very large scale recirculating systems (eg. 46 Gou9h• --- S.E. Atlantic Jasus species). If this ^------is correct, then a key factor for

15" w lÔ s G s )Cr ls

Figure 2. Location of Methot net stations occupied by F.R.S. Africana showing numbers of Jasus (top value) and Panulirus larvae (lower value) caught per one-hour tow in the Cape Basin

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 7 both numerically and in biomass. production is high because fe- RESEARCH NEWS The 6001 of plankton collected in males breed for 8-10 years before the 66 trawls contained almost recruiting. It appears most larvae CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE 9,000 jas us larvae. There were typi- in the ECC System are from local cally 2-3 1 of plankton at each off- hatchings, but they may come Lobster Phyllosomata shore station containing 100-900 from other parts of New Zealand. larvae. We do not know if March from Offshore 1995 was unique for the numbers The numbers of larvae we caught NZ Waters of larvae present, but we think not in March 1995 can be contrasted because the numbers we caught 50- with what we caught with the 400 km from shore on this voyage same net on a transect through the FROM: JOHN BOOTH were similar to those taken there in South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, 1994. and the Tasman Sea in June 1991 Phyllosomata of Jasus edwardsii (The Lobster Newsletter 5(2)). Simi- are abundant up to 1,300 km off New Zealand lies within a general lar numbers of Jas us phyllosomata the southeast coast of New west to east oceanic flow, so why were found in the latter survey, Zealand's North Island. A fine- don't larvae continue to drift east, but only within 400 km of South meshed, midwater trawl was used away from New Zealand? Waters Africa and southern Australia. in March 1995 to determine if the southeast of North Island are noted Numbers decreased further from distribution and abundance of for recirculation and eddying; we shore. mid- and late-stage phyllosomata assume the East Cape Current correlate with year to year varia- (ECC) System retains larvae The scale of the larval pool off tion in puerulus settlement or nearshore, but physical oceanogra- southeast North Island seems to whether settlement levels are phers have yet to define the eastern be larger than observed elsewhere driven by factors such as ocean boundary of this system. Judging for Jasus , and similar to that climate. Our previous sampling from the above biological evidence found for Panulirus cygnus off showed that phyllosomata were the Louisville Ridge, a prominent Western Australia. abundant to at least 400 km off I feature often rising 4000-5000 m to shore. To index larval abundance, within 300 m of the surface, may Literature cited we needed to know the extent of contain the ECC system. the larval pool. Booth, J.D. 1994. Crustaceana 66: 295-317.

Where do larvae come from? This John Booth The trawl was 65 m long with a is an important management ques- MAF Fisheries Greta Point mouth area of 80 mz. The 12 mm tion, but one not easily answered. P.O. Box 297 mesh retained larvae from about There are large commercial popula- Wellington, New Zealand stage 5 onwards. Sampling oc- tions of J. edwardsii along the south- curred at night, with 30-min tows east coast of North Island. Larval at 20-100 m. An average of 135 larvae per 0.5 h tow were cap- tured, but at stations 1,100 km from shore we caught up to 900 (average over 600) per tow (see

Figure). Phyllosomata numbers 3 fell dramatically beyond the Lou- isville Ridge; the ridge thus marks the eastern extent of the area of high larval abundance. Most lar- vae were mid-stage J. edwardsii from the previous spring's hatch, but there were also many final- stage larvae from hatchings in some previous year. There were also small numbers of Scyllarus aoteanus and Ibacus alticrenatus larvae.

It was remarkable how dominant J. edwardsii phyllosomata were in the offshore macrozooplankton, Figure Catches (number per 30-min trawl) of mid- and late-stage phyllosoma larme of Jasus edwardsii off the east coast of the North Island, New Zealand, March 1995.

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 8 Two New Records of region possible, to create a basis RECENT EVENTS for future coordinated research, Scyllarids from the In- and to develop a cooperative and dian Coast integrating view in such a way CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE that all the countries can benefit (maximum observed carapace FROM: E.V. RADHAKRISHNAN, C. from these results. length: 47 mm). The and to chelae, KASINATHAN AND N. RAMAMOORTHY a lesser extent the carapace and A total 40 papers were presented tail fan, are covered with plumose Two female specimens of in 5 sessions. Three software pro- setae. Photographs in the article Parribacus antarcticus,both grams for the evaluation and man- show a distinct red coloration. measur- ing 70 mm carapace length, and one agement of lobster fisheries were Other morphological differences male Scyllarides tridacnophaga (71 demonstrated. between the new genus and mm CL) were found off Mandapam Homarus include structure of the in the Gulf of Mannar, on the south- TALLER BINACIONAL male pleopods, tooth pattern on eastern coast of India. Earlier, a MEXICO - CUBA the cutting edges of the first single male specimen of P. chelae, and the shape of the ros- antarcticus was recorded from trum. The authors also report that Minicoy, an island off the south- divergence in there is significant west coast of India. S. tridacnophaga the sequence of the mitochondrial is reported for the first time from 16s rRNA gene between the new Indian waters. A paper on this is in genus and the two species of preparation. Homarus found in the North At- lantic. Apparently, Williams and other carcinologists had long been E.V. Rad hakrishnan ■ aware that the Cape lobster C. Kasinathan 11111111111111111111111111 111. should not be included in the ge- N. Ramamoorthy nus Homarus, and the independent Calicut Research Centre of CMFRI Lctrigosto 194 genetic work by Kornfield and West Hill P.O. 673 005 Steneck provided the final impe- Calicut, INDIA tus for the joint taxonomic deci- and publication. MANU() 01 REFUGIOS sion ART IF IC 1.,% LES EN A PESQUERiit LANGOSTA MN AMICÀ In the most recent number of the Second Mexico-Cuba De S PORLACIONES Journal of Crustacean Biology (15 (2): 376-394), T.-Y. Chan and H.-P. Workshop: Langosta '94 Yu reviewed and illustrated the distinguishing characteristics of FROM J.A. BAISRE AND R. CRUZ the four species of the rare spiny The program included 4 introduc- lobster genus Palinus tus. A total of The Second Binational Mexico- tory conferences showing the sta- 54 specimens are known for the Cuba Workshop on the manage- tus of knowledge on entire genus. From this material, ment of artificial shelters and popu- and evolution of Palinuroidea the authors described the new lation dynamics of the spiny (J.A. Baisre); Oceanic processes, species P. holthuisi. The new spe- lobster, took place October 17-21, recruitment of puerulus and man- cies is most closely related to P. 19‘94 in Havana, Cuba. Julio Baisre agement of Western Australia unicornu tus, from which it can be and Raul Cruz were co-chairs of the lobster (B.F. Phillips); Ecological separated by the lack of serration workshop. Sixty-five participants data of lobster living in the deeper on the posterior margin of ab- from 10 countries of the region reefs to SW of Cuba (A. Herrera); dominal tergite VI. Palinus tus were in attendance as well as Bruce Artificial Shelters used for the is distributed around holthuisi Phillips from Australia who came spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) Japan and Taiwan at a depth of to the meeting as a representative of fisheries in Cuba (R. Cruz). The about 100m. FAO. book entitled "Spiny Lobster Man- agement" (B.F. Phillips) and a The main goal of the workshop was paper on Spiny Lobster Fisheries to develop scientific exchange in the Caribbean (R. Cruz) were within the framework of biological presented. and fisheries research on lobster in the Caribbean region and the In Session 1 (Larvae and Oceanog- American.Pacific, to make a direct raphy) the result on the vertical exchange among scientific in the CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Page The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Ntunber 1: July 1 995 introduction of artificial habitats in The proceedings from the First RECENT EVENTS other areas of the Mexican Carib- Binational Mexico-Cuba Work- bean and the presentation of a re- shop, held from May 21-27,1993 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE search project to assess their impact in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo on benthic environments. (Mexico) were distributed to all distribution of larvae and different the participants and countries oceanographic aspects related to Session 5 (Fishery) included papers interested in them. The proceed- the life cycle of the species were on the status and development of ings of the Second Workshop will debated. lobster fisheries in Cuban waters; be published in 1995-1996. the present status of fisheries in the Session 2 (Recruitment and Fore- SW of the Gulf of California; the Julio Baisre cast) covered aspects related to the space-time variation of lobster Raul Cruz variability of larval and juvenile catches in Baja California and lob- Centro de Investigacion Pesqueras lobster recruitment. An abstract ster fisheries in the Dominican Re- Cuidad Habana on the procedures that should be public. The interpretation and use CUBA used for the catch of puerulus of CPUE index in lobster fisheries through collectors as well as sig- as well as new works on the selec- nificant aspects on the feasibility tiveness of the traditional spiny to do a forecast for lobster catch, lobster traps used in Baja California Nova Scotia Fishermen in regions and area, by using the and Cuba were discussed. abundance of juveniles. Hold Lobster Quality After four days of discussion a ple- Workshop In Session 3 (Biology and Ecology) nary session addressed the follow- a review of reproduction dynam- ing points: ics of Panulirus argus in its area of FROM. GREG ROACH distribution was presented as well • The economic importance of lob- In October 1994, lobster fisher- as aspects related to fecundity, sters for many countries in the men and dealers met in Yarmouth, breeding, the latitude and gonadal region. Nova Scotia, Canada to discuss cycle, and recruitment in Panulirus quality concerns associated with interruptus. An update of age and • The long larval stage of the spe- their lobster (Homarus americanus) growth in the four fishing regions cies, which could allow an inter- fishery. The workshop addressed of the Cuban archipelago and the connection of populations or issues specific to one fishing area different biological-fishing aspects population segments from differ- in Southwest Nova Scotia where of the lobster in Costa Rica, ent countries. approximately 970 licensed fisher- Providencia and Santa Catalina men have landed from 8,000 to islands and Colombian Caribbean. • The high fishery intensity to 11,000 mt per year over the past 5 The role of natural shelter in the which the stocks are submitted in years. They are permitted to fish distribution of P. argus and P. many countries of the region. from November until the end of guttatus also was discussed. The May. Most fishermen take their variation of microecology of lob- • That any overfishing problem traps to shore for the coldest win- ster juvenile was an interesting could affect not only a particular ter months so there is effectively a aspect. country but some other countries fall season and a spring season. of the region. Session 4 (Artificial Shelters) in- cluded aspects related to the use All participants agreed: The Workshop was requested by and management of artificial shel- industry to address problems of ters (called pesqueros or casitas) in 1. To promote the establishment of quality that occurred while lob- spiny lobster (P. argus) fisheries in a permanent regional spiny lob- sters were being stored during fall Cuba and Mexico. Aspects related ster group. seasons. Many lobster fishermen to fishery intensity in artificial hold their catch in crates or large shelters and traps during the mass 2. To request from FAO technical floating rafts during the early part migration in Cuba were discussed, and financial support to develop of the fall season. Early in the fall as well as the feasibility of the a five-year working programme. prices usually are low and then increase as the winter holiday 3. To entrust the Steering Commit- season approaches. Fishermen and tee of the Workshop and Dr. B.F. buyers alike play the risky game Phillips with the preparation of a proposal of working plan to be discussed with FAO.

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 10 of guessing when to hold and removed from the traps. Different In the discussions that followed, when to sell to get the best price. If on-board holding systems were fishermen and buyers had frank lobsters are sold too soon, rev- described and fishermen noted that discussions about lobster quality enues are lost. If they are held too lobster should be sold or stored in relation to holding, and lobster long, markets will be lost, prices immediately upon landing. Buyers pricing in relation to supply and will decline and fishermen may be described the handling techniques demand during the fall season. stuck with their lobsters. Storage- employed on land. Lobsters should Many concerns were expressed by related damage and mortality be checked to remove weak or dam- both fishermen and buyers about make the stakes even higher. In aged animals from the catch and prices that may start out too low recent years, excessive rain or the lobsters should be placed back and expectations for prices that snow and heavy winds have in the water as soon as possible may be far greater than the market caused substantial losses. All in- after delivery. Handling should be can bear. In the middle is the prac- dustry participants agreed that minimize at all stages of fishing, tice of holding lobster, which lobster quality was of paramount buying, storage and shipping to works well to serve a market if important and a forum such as the avoid injury or stress. done correctly, but which may workshop was needed to get at result in mortality and quality these issues. Discussion on air shipping and problems if taken too far. The international-distribution networks workshop concluded with an Large volumes of lobsters are followed. Industry representatives agreement among participants caught during the first two weeks expressed concern about the short- that the benefits of good holding of the season (40% of the annual age of air cargo space for shipping practices and top quality lobsters catch), yet a much smaller amount lobsters, especially during the peak can be shared by all segments of is sold (10%). The difference be- Christmas season. Factors such as the industry, but better communi- tween what is caught and sold is low international traffic volume at cation is essential to reach that held until about the 10th week the Halifax airport and competition end. into the fishery when landings for cargo space during the peak match sales. It is the quality and landing periods result in the space Few quality problems associated are of these stored lobsters that limitations. Live Canadian lobsters with holding were reported dur- has raised concerns among buyers enjoy a good reputation in the inter- ing the 1994 fall season that fol- and fisherman alike. national market place, but air lowed the workshop. Many pric- freight services may have to im- ing arrangements between The workshop started with an prove if markets are to expand. fishermen and buyers were made overview of lobster biology in prior to the season opening. The relation to water quality factors. Fishermen then presented their weather conditions were very W. Young-Lai stressed the impor- perspective on holding, noting that good for holding, which may par- tance of good water quality in all it makes good business sense to tially explain the success. We hope situations where lobsters are held. take the risk and wait for prices to the communication lines have He reviewed the lobster's require- improve. Many techniques were been opened and a maturing in- ments in relation to salinity and described which ensure good dustry can address its problems. oxygen concentrations, gill func- survivorship for stored lobsters. tion and the importance of keep- The fishermen believe they can Copies of the workshop proceed- ing the gills moist, and the rela- provide top quality lobsters after a ings can be requested from the tionship between temperature and holding period of a few weeks. author (address below). metabolic rate. All these factors Qpening prices are too low and affect the condition of lobsters. there is a belief that this may be due Greg Roach to collusion among buyers. Holding N.S. Department of Fisheries Fishermen described their tech- lobster may be the only way for PO Box 2223 niques for handling lobsters. They fishermen to maintain their inde- Halifax, Nova Scotia explained different methods used pendence. Buyers noted that lobster B3J 3C4 on board vessels to ensure that quality declines if fishermen hold lobsters are kept wet, cool and out lobsters too long. Concerns were of the wind and rain. All stressed expressed about shell disease if the importance of banding claws lobsters are held for too long a pe- immediately when lobsters are riod. An advanced holding system was described by a Clearwater rep- resentative, whose system can hold lobster without deterioration in quality for months.

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume S, Number 1: July 1995 Page 11 Marine Fisheries Research Institute] P. ornatus, followed by P. homarus, Annual Report, 1993-94); this are the major species at Tuticorin FISHERIES AND change was possibly brought about and Mandapam in the southeast. by recruitment overfishing and the Gill nets are widely used but some AQUACULTURE fishing of ovigerous females, which lobsters are also taken by trawlers. UPDATE form 25-30% of females. Large quantities of juvenile P. polyphagus East coast CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 are also taken intertidally in the Bhavnagar district for ongrowing. The principal species in Madras is forms small fisheries in the south- Catches of T. orientalis have also P. homarus, with the fishing ex- west and southeast and P. declined. For example, the average tending from January to Septem- penicillatus and P. longipies appear annual catch in Bombay slumped ber. Fifty per cent of females are occasionally in catches. from 185 t in 1978-85 (CPUE 4.4 kg/ mature at 56-60 mm CL (carapace unit/day) to 7 t in 1992-93. length). Gill nets were most com- monly used until 1986, when South coast trammel nets were introduced. 4 Lobsters in the trammel nets range The fishing grounds of Colachel from 18 to 106 mm CL (predomi- and Muttom (between Colachel and nantly 46-50 mm CL) and in the 35 Quilon) were the most productive gill nets 31-100 mm CL (61-65 mm grounds in India in the 1960s and CL). The dominant size class of 1970s but the present production of lobster in the gill nets decreased 25 around 2 t is only 1% of that in from 76-80 mm CL in 1979-80 to 1964-65. P. homarus is the predomi- 61-65 mm CL in 1986-88. Many nant species, and is fished from juveniles are caught and wasted in September to April. Reduction in this fishery, so unless gear and catch is through to be largely due to size restrictions are introduced, the fishing of berried females, im- further decline in landings can be mature lobsters, and undersized expected. lobsters. Introduction of trammel nss 070 197 5 «0 1065 2200 1995 and gill nets has led to increased YEARS pressure compared with the tradi- Fig. 1: Annual lobster landing in India. tional traps.

70 75 80 85 90

▪ Ponultrus homorus Commercial fisheries have yet to Jakhau A Panultrus polyphogus develop in Minicoy and Andaman 40 Ponulirus ornotus and Nicobar Islands but commer- k ha „l— c' havnagar e Ponultrus versicolor cial quantities of the deep sea lob- • Panultrus penicillotus • Ponulirus longipes ster, Linu parus somniosus, have 20 Zsb recently been found off the east • Puerulus se weili A1,Bombay coast of Andamans. The commer- 1:}0 • Linuporus somniosus B3 Poilnustus mossambkusi YVA ishakhopotnam cial significance of Palinus tus `--10 in deep mossambicus (waquiensis) Kakinada eA waters off Quilon is also unclear.

The scyllarid Thenus orientalis is ds 15 G taken in trawls throughout India, bE lan Is • especially in the northwest. AN Ao

Madras bar 0 b Northwest coast LOI Nico

ARABI 0 Calicut a 10 • ■ p

P. polyphagus is the principal spe- an cies. Annual landing declined 10 • 'Ao

ego dam from 650 t with a CPUE of 13.9 Mandapam 0 uilon Tuticorin An \Ar 93 kg/unit/day in 1986-87 to 93 t Mi flic r • CeCrihe1 130 • _ with a CPUE of 3.2 kg/unit/day 1:11 no in 1993-94. the fishery in 1975-76 EDik • was dominated by 4 and 5 year 70 75 80 85 olds but is now dominated by 3 Fig. 2: Distribution of palinurid lobsters along the Indian coast. and 4 year olds (CMFRI [Central

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 12 I

Deepwater lobsters P. polyphagus need to be designed ment we refer to the new recruits exclusively for lobsters. Trammel as juveniles. The juvenile lobsters Puerulus sewelli occurs off south- nets should be banned as they take remain in the shallow nursery ern coasts between 150 and 400 in, juveniles. More research can lead to area for between 8 and 10 months, with most at 150-250 in. Surveys better information to support these and then migrate offshore and are during 1967-70 revealed potential measures. recruited to the fishery at 76 mm grounds off Quilon and in the CL (Cruz et al, 1986b). Entry of the Gulf of Mannar (near Tuticorin), E.V. Radhakrishnan recruits to the fishing zone occurs with MSYs of 8,000 t and 1,200 t Calicut Research Centre of CMFRI during March-May (Cruz and respectively (CMFRI News Letter West Hill Phillips, 1994). Sexual maturity is No. 44,1988). Surveys in 1969 and Calicut-673 005, INDIA attained at a size of 78-81 mm CL 1970 gave catch rates of 15- 330 (Cruz and Leon, 1991; Baisre and kg/hr trawling in the southwest Cruz, 1994) and mating takes and 200-300 kg/hr in the south- Cuban Spiny Lobster: place mainly in February-March. east. Heavy fishing of berried Predicting the Catch females and immature lobsters Data Collected (less than 40 m CL) are thought to have brought about reduction in FROM: R. CRUZ, R. PUGA, Sufficient long-term, accurate data catches and CPUE, with landings AND M. E. DE LEON on the abundance of juveniles had from the Gulf of Mannar in 1993- to be collected. CIP scientists had 94 falling to around 90 t with a Predictions of the catch of the spi- earlier shown that juveniles could CPUE of 15 kg/hr trawling. ny lobster (Panulirus argus) in Cuba be captured with artificial concrete have been made by the Centro de block reefs (Fig. 2) in a nursery Recent surveys by Fishery Survey Investigaciones Pesqueras (CIP) area (Cruz et al, 1986a). With these of India have located a potential since 1992. The predictions are block structures we were able to resource of Linuparus somniosus off based on the number of juveniles in measure the abundance of juve- the east coast of Andaman and the nursery area. This article de- niles. Nicobar Islands (Fig. 2) where scribes the sampling techniques and catches averaged 450 kg/vessel/ prediction methods used. An index of juvenile abundance day with a CPUE of 1.6 kg/hr was obtained from monthly moni- trawled. L. somniosus occurs at Cuba is the main producer of the toring of 60 block structures since depths of 279-360 in and is associ- spiny lobster P. argus and one of the 1982. Lobsters were caught by ated with P. sewelli. Carapace principal lobster exporting coun- divers between 1.5 and 2.5 m lengths ranged from 64 to 180 tries of the world. Catches over the depth. The data collected include mm, the average weight was 350g, last 15 years have averaged 10,833 the number of juveniles in the size and the maximum weight 1010g. metric tons, resulting in exports range 14-50 mm CL in each block worth US $100 million per year. structure and carapace length Management Most of the catch is taken in the measurements for females and Gulf of Batabano (Fig. 1). males. The annual juvenile index The maritime states manage their was calculated as the mean num- own fisheries, but regulations Panulirus argus has a complex life ber caught per block per month. differ between states and often are cycle with ten pelagic larval stages not strictly enforced. Use of tram- before metamorphosis to the Method of Prediction mel nets and the taking of berried puerulus (Baisre, 1964). The peak of females and juveniles are thought pLerulus settlement occurs mainly The prediction of the commercial to have contributed to the collapse from September-December (Cruz et catch in the spiny lobster fishery of several fisheries. A particular a1,1991). Ten months after settle- was made possible when a math- management problem is where lobsters are taken as by-catch in shrimp and fish trawls.

Regulations should include fish- ery closure during the breeding season, a minimum legal size (60 mm CL is recommended for P. homarus), and gear restrictions. Escape gaps should be enforced for trap-caught species, and mesh regulations are needed where gill nets are used. The trawls used for Fig. 1. Fishing regions for Panulirus argus in Cuba.

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 13 juveniles in 1991, we predicted that Predictions may be further re- FISHERIES AND the total catch in 1992 would be fined, based on the number of 5,373 mt; the actual catch was 5,322 puerulus settling in the collectors AQUACULTURE mt. Based on the 1982-1991 regres- composed of artificial seaweed sion and the level of juveniles in (Phillips, 1972). A measure of UPDATE 1992, we predicted the 1993 catch puerulus recruitment might pro- would be 5 469 mt; the actual catch vide a basis for a successful pre- CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE was 4 902 mt. diction of the catch two years in advance. Seven years (1988-1994) Cross correlations between catches of puerulus settlement data have by region and enterprise indicated now been collected and provide a that the two were closely associ- solid basis for analysis of the ated. Growth and recruitment variability of collector catches in variations do not show differences the Gulf of Batabano and deter- between region (Leon et al, 1994 mination of an index of larval and Puga et al, 1994), allowing us to recruitment. make capture forecasts by region and zone. Table 1 shows the predic- In the years in which the predic- tion of commercial catches by re- tion was used (1991-1994) the gion in 1994, based on the 1982- abundance of juveniles was very Fig. 2. Artificial concrete block reefs used in a low. Strong fishing pressure, nursery area for sampling small juveniles (14- 1992 regression and the index of 50 mm CL) as part of the predictive system. juveniles in 1993. (Cruz et al, 1994). combined with a low abundance of juveniles since 1988 could pos- ematical relationship was found between the number of juveniles 1994 1994 in the nursery area in one year and the number of pre-recruits to Region Catch Actual the fishery one year later. (Cruz et Prediction Catch al, in press). The commercial catch in any year is composed of a num- National 9,500 9,696 ber of year-classes, but because 50 Gulf of Batabano 5,400 5,517 to 75% of the total catch is made North-Western 211 169 up of new recruits to the fishery, they strongly influence the total catch. The juvenile index plotted Zones in Batabano Gulf

Coloma 2600 2634 Batabano 1940 1931 Isla de la Juventud 854 952

Table 1. Predicted and actual catch (in metric tons) of Panulirus argus during 1 994 by region in Cuba.

5 a f5 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Index of juvenile, (IJ). Use of the Catch Predictions sibly reduce the size of breeding Fig. 3. Relaticmship, with 95% confidence stock below the critical level to limits, between the index of juvenile abundance A system to estimate the abundance maintain recruitrnent to the fish- for 1982-1992 and the commercial catch of of post-larval and juvenile P. argus ery. Setting quotas on catches is an Panulirus argus one year later in the Gulf of Batabatio. in Cuba has allowed us to develop option that could be considered by a preliminary forecast of the catch those managing the lobster fish- against the total commercial catch one year in advance. Given the ery. The predictive system would in the following year at the Gulf of short data series, this is essentially be useful for calculating such quo- Batabano is shown in Fig. 3. A exploratory, but it holds promise tas if they were introduced. linear regression showed a strong for advising industry and fisher- relationship (r=0.87, p<0.001). men about future changes in catch Literature Cited Using a regression of total catch and of matching catch to the likely 13aisre, J.A., (1964). Contrib. Cent. Inv. against the juvenile index for 1982 level effort required. Data will con- abundance of Pesqu., 19: 1-37. to 1990, and the tinue to be collected to test the ro- 13aisre, J.A. & R. Cruz, (1994). Ch. 8 in: B.F. bustness of the catch forecast, and Phillips, J.S. Cobb and J. Kit taka, (eds). to extend it to other regions. Spiny Lobster Management, Fishing

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 14 News Books. Oxford. Brunswick in 10m of water. The Cruz, R. Brito, E. Diaz and R. Lalana, objective was to examine lobsters (1986a). Rev. Inv. Mar., 7(3): 3-17. RECOLLECTIONS & .(1986b). on both rocky and sand/silt sub- Rev. Inv. Mar., 7(3): 19-35. strates where commercial lobster Cruz, R. & M.E. De Leon (1991). Rev. Inv. Early Australia-Canada traps had been placed. Lobsters Mar., 12(1-3): 234-245. were thinly scattered on the sea Cruz, R., M.E. De Leon, E. Diaz, R. Bri to & Cooperation in the use of R. Puga, (1991). Rev. Inv. Mar., 12(1-3): floor. Over-all, five dives were 66-75. SCUBA to Study Homarus made and 32 lobsters were cap- Cruz, R. & B.F. Phillips. (1994). Ch 21 in: americanus tured by hand: the smallest, a B.F. Phillips, J.S. Cobb, & J. Kittaka, male, was 0.68" CL; the largest, a (eds), Spiny Lobster Management, female, was 2.75" CL. There were Fishing New Books, Oxford. EXTRACTED FROM A LETTER more lobsters moving over the Cruz, R., R. Puga & Ma. E. de Leon. (1994). BY A.M. OLSEN Taller Binacional Mexico-Cuba, Manejo sand/silt than over the rocky bot- de Refugios Artifici ales en las tom. The latter bottom did, how- The use of diving suit and helmet Pesquerias de Langosta y Dinamica de ever, provide more shelter for the sus poblaciones, Ciudad de la Habana, to provide abundance estimates of smaller lobsters, thus we may Cuba, 17-21 de Octubre de 1994. commercially important marine have missed some lobsters. An- De Leon, M.E., R. Cruz & R. Puga. (1994). II species was first used in Australia Taller Binacional Mexico-Cuba, Manejo other diving foray occurred in in 1947. SCUBA gear replaced de Refugios Artificiales en las September, when a 35mm camera "hard hat" technology in 1954, and Pesquerias de Langosta y Dinamca de was used to photograph lobsters sus poblaciones, Ciudad de la Habana, I used it immediately to study the in situ for the first time in Canada. Cuba, 17-21 de Octubre de 1994. ecology and behaviour of the spiny Phillips, B.F., (1972). Crustaceana, 22: 147- During this trip, I also assessed rock lobster, jas us edwardsii in 154. the effectiveness of the dredge to south-east Australian waters. At Puga, R., M.E. de Leon & R. Cruz (1994). II capture lobsters. Of interest was Taller Binacional Mexico-Cuba, Manejo about the same time, Dick Wilder of the foraging of both H. americanus de Refugios Artificiales en las the Fisheries Research Board (FRB) and H. gammarus (which I later Pesquerias de Langosta y Dinamica de of Canada's St. Andrews Biological sys poblaciones, Ciudad de la Habana, observed off Whitby, Yorkshire Station was carrying out interesting Cuba,, 17-21 de "Octubre de 1994. England) in daylight; J.edwardsii population studies of Homarus back home forages only during americanus. As part of a six month Raul Cruz darkness. R. Puga "overseas study", I spent a most M.E. DeLeon enjoyable few weeks in the summer Photographs taken during my trip of '59 with Dr. Wilder and his lob- Centro de Investigacion Pesqueras were subsequently shown to ster research team. Cuidad Habana FRB's Board of Directors by Dr. C LIBA Hart. He was obviously excited Dr. Wilder was using a dredge to about the potential of SCUBA study recruitment in techniques. I agreed to teach two Northumberland Strait lobster of his science staff (Paul Elson and stocks. My offer to use SCUBA to Don Graham) the techniques of supply direct underwater observa- SCUBA; the prohibition on diving tions was keenly accepted by Dick, was then rescinded for those St. but we had one significant hurdle Andrews' staff having taken such to overcome: A prohibition on the training. Dick Wilder went on to use of SCUBA at the Biological use it in FRB's trans-continental Station! It seems a staff member relocation of lobsters in 1965 and had gotten into difficulties when Don Graham continued lobster using SCUBA for the first time, diving studies up to his recent likely because there was no proper retirement. instruction available. The Director, Dr. J.L. Hart, after learning of my 12 A. M. Olsen years diving experience, granted Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO me permission to dive, provided a (retired) strong line attached me to the boat 11 Orchard Grove tender. Dr. Wilder was delighted. Newton, South AUSTRALIA 5074 The first SCUBA equipped dive to study Canadian lobsters occurred August 27t",1959, off St. Louis, New

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 15 AMUSEMENTS the tides among the rocks, and may of the net. They can take none in also be found under their proper the daytime, except when the wa- form, from half an inch to four ter is thick and opaque: they are Plus ça Change... inches in length." commonly caught in the night... "

Ken Collins (Oceanography, Univer- ON GROWTH AND MOLTING ON MINIMUM SIZE sity of Southampton, England) re- cently sent us a photocopy of a page "In casting their shells it is hard to "We have vast numbers of fine from the "Museum of Animated Na- conceive how the lobster is able to lobsters on the rocks near our ture," published in about 1850, in draw the fish of their large claws coast. The large ones are in gen- which a fine description of lobster (we out, leaving the shells entire and eral in their best season from the presume ) attached to the shell of their body; middle of October till the begin- biology is encapsulated. Most of the in which state they are constantly ning of May. Many of the small article comes from a letter from Mr. found. The fishermen say the lob- ones, and some of the larger sorts, Travis, of Scarborough, dated the 25th ster pines before casting, till the fish are good all the summer. If they of October, 1768. We can't reprint it in its large claw is no thicker than be four inches and a half long, or all here, but thought the readers of the quill of a goose, which enables upwards, from the tip of the head The Lobster Newsletter would be it to draw its parts through the to the end of the back shell, they edified by some of the information. joints and narrow passage near the are called sizeable lobsters. If only Clearly the author addressed the same trunk.... Lobsters only grow in size four inches, they are esteemed issues as trouble us: Recruitment, when their shells are in their soft half-size, and, when sold, two of Growth and Molting, Migrations, state." them are reckoned for one of size. Minimum Size, Fishing Methods, and If they be under four inches, they Overfishing, although they were not ON MIGRATIONS AND MOVE- are called pawks, and are not sale- identified as such. MENTS able to the carriers..."

"In summer the lobsters are found ON OVERFISHING ON RECRUITMENT near the shore, and thence to about six fathoms' depth of water; in win- "The consumption of lobsters in "The female or hen lobster does ter they are seldom taken in less England is almost incalculable; not cast her shell the same year than twelve or fifteen fathoms. The but the vast destruction made is that she deposits her ova, or, in are much more active and alert in counterbalanced by an according the common phrase, is in berry.... warm weather than in cold. In the increase. By a wise provision, the Hen lobsters are found in berry at water they can run nimbly upon maintenance of the species is fully all times of the year, but chiefly in their legs or small claws, and, if secured, so great is its fecundity. winter. ... Though the ova are cast alarmed, can spring tail foremost to Dr. Basten says that he counted at all times of the year, they seem a surprising distance as swift as a twelve thousand four hundred only to come to life during the bird can fly." and forty-four eggs under the tail warm summer months of July and of one female lobster; and that this August. Great numbers of them ON FISHING METHODS number was not the total may then be found, under the amount." appearance of tadpoles, swim- "Lobsters are not taken here in pots, ming about the little pools left by as is usual where the water is deeper and more still than it is upon our coast. Our fishermen use a bag-net fixed to an iron hoop, about two feet in diameter, and suspended by three lines like a scale. The bait is commonly fish- guts tied to the bottom and middle

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 16 NEW ZEALAND LOBSTER MEETING

Arrangements are well advanced for the Fifth International Conference and Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management to be held in Queenstown, New Zealand during 9-14 February 1997. The meeting is hosted by an Organizing Committee representing New Zealand researchers, managers, industry, and Maori.

Workshops will focus on topics of wide interest with participants encouraged to contribute preliminary results from ongoing work. Contributions on all aspects of all lobsters - spiny, slipper, clawed, and scampi - will be considered. There will be sessions for formal papers and posters, as well as workshops in which researchers, managers, and industry will take part. The formal welcome will be on Sunday evening,9th February and the farewell party on Friday evening, 14th February. During the week, there will be formal papers in the mornings and workshops in the afternoons (except that Thursday afternoon will be free). The formal papers and the conclusions from the workshops will be published after normal refereeing. We expect publication late in 1997 or early in 1998.

Full registration will be about $(NZ)400, students $200, and partners about $150. Full and stu- dent registrations give publication of a paper (up #o 12 published pages), a copy of the pro- ceedings, the conference dinner, two additional evening functions, and morning and afternoon teas.

The meeting is in summer in Queenstown, a South Island alpine resort known for its spectacu- lar beauty and range of outdoor activities (white-water rafting, jet-boati ng,nature walks, mountain climbing, bungy jumping, and a host of otliers): The town is small and compact and served by many and varied restaurants. The conference and main accommodation is in the Lakeland Hotel, on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, overlooking the Remarkables Range, and 10 mtnutes stroll from the heart of Queenstown. inc e nightly room rate in February 1997 will be about $(NZ)170 for 1 or 2 people (plus $17 for a third person). Staying at the Lakeland Hotel brings superior accommodation at the conference venue, great views of the lake and moun- tains, access to the hotel pools and sauna, close contact with other conference participants, and easy access to helpful conference and hotel staff. Other accommodation will also be reserved at nearby motels and backpacker lodges.

Queenstown is particularly busy over the summer so accommodation will have to be con- firmed at least 3 months before the meting, by November 1996. In the first call for papers, in February 1996, you will be asked your preferred accommodation.

Post-meeting field trips are being arranged. These will include visits to nearby spiny lobster fishing area, nearby coasts including Fiordland, and to MAF Fisheries' main campus in Wellington (with a visit to Castlepoint). .: The conference organizers want your ideas for workshop themes. These might include larval recruitment mechanisms, post-settlement ecology, tagging techniques, or the effectiveness of minimum legal sizes. Can you suggest others?

For further information and to contribute your ideas on workshop topics, please contact:

Dr. John Booth, Convenor, Fifth International Conference and Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management MAF Fisheries Greta Point P.O. Box 297 Wellington, New Zealand Phone +64 4 386 1029 -Fax +64 4 386 0574 e-mail [email protected]

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 17 NURSERY set aside for young children" suggesting at first glance that TERMINOLOGICAL As attention recently has focussed the use of 'area' is redundant TRIBULATIONS on early life history stages of lob- when accompanying 'nursery.' It sters, and recruitment issues in also implies that older children particular have become a hot (how much older?) are not Occasionally, as editors, we come up topic (cooled off a bit recently, found in nurseries. The verb to against a word or phrase whose mean- however), we have seen a lot nurse either means to attend to ing is not entirely clear, or seems to more use of the term "nursery the needs of the sick or infirm, have a different usage in other con- area." The meaning seems to or to attend to infants, the latter texts. In earlier "tribulations" we vary, but the most common usage suggesting that only the very addressed the use of Postlarva and the suggests reference to the location young are found in nurseries. use of common names. More recently where larvae settle in great num- We suggest that the usage of we have been bemused by the usage of bers and the animals spend the 'nursery' in ecological terms "molt stage" and "nursery area." first part of their early benthic should be limited to describing phase. However, we also have areas where the earliest (but MOLT STAGE seen it used in reference to nearly post-larval) stages first settle any location where juveniles are and remain for some circum- The increasing importance of found. None of the four scientific scribed period. Clearly this us- knowing the stage of the molt dictionaries we consulted con- age is not appropriate for sessile cycle in cru stacea was reviewed in tained the word nursery. Our species which do not move after a Perspective by juinio and dictionary of the English Lan- settlement. For these, nursery Cromarty in The Lobster Newslet- guage defines nursery as "a place would be the same as adultery. ter 6(2). Since editing that article we have browsed the literature somewhat and find that Drach's (1939) characterization of the molt cycle into distinct and recogniz- able stages is commonly referred to as "molt stage" or "molt cycle o stage." Sometimes it even is used 0 (horrors!) as a verb, as in 'We molt staged the animals before subject- ing them to such-and-such a treat- ment.' The two ways of referenc- ing the same phenomenon might not cause too much confusion but for the fact that the entire inter- ecdysial period also may be re- ferred to as a molt stage. This is common usage in the Homarus literature, particularly for the lar- val and early benthic phases. Thus the first molt stage larva (com- monly, in shorthand, "stage I"), as well as subsequent stages, will progress through molt cycle stages of A, B, C,1)0, etc. In our role as terminological police of The Lob- ster Newsletter (a tricky and dan- gerous profession, we assure you) we have started to make sure that the term 'molt stage' is reserved for the entire period between two molts, while 'molt cycle stage' is I used to refer to Drach's physi- ological and morphological stages that characterize the time spent recovering from, and preparing for ecdysis in all crustaceans. By Don Bosquet, Rhode Island Cartoonist. With permission.

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 18 Electronic Submissions Mailing List ANNOUNCEMENTS As you might guess, we edit the As you remember, we enclosed Newsletter on computers, and the a card in the last issue, asking Publication Schedule text is composed on an Apple everyone who wanted to stay on Macintosh before printing. You can the mailing list please to return it. help us out by submitting your The three editors of the Newslet- A great many people did - more material in an electronic form, as ter try to keep to a somewhat than 450 of you, in 50 countries. well as on paper. If at all possible, regular publication schedule: one The results were a bit confusing, we ask that you send us, along with issue in July and another in De- however, since a number of our your article, a disk with the article cember of each year. We edit the colleagues, including some who on it. Please identify the format correspondence and articles re- we know well and others who (Macintosh or IBM) and word pro- have contributed to the Newslet- ceived from you about 2 months cessing program you used. Alterna- ter, before the issue is mailed. From were not among those who tively, you could submit material that you might deduce some responded. Cards do continue to via e-mail. That is equally easy for come in, and we hope that will deadlines: in order to be included any one of us. If you submit by e- continue. If you did not return a in the JULY issue, letters, news mail, please also send a'hard" card but wish to continue to re- items, articles, etc, must be re- copy by regular mail. Our e-mail ceived by EARLY MAY. For inclu- ceive the Newsletter, please write addresses are given in the mast- sion in the DECEMBER issue, to John Pringle today! And if you head on page 2. Again, it will be know of someone who would please plan to submit material by very helpful if you could submit EARLY OCTOBER. We look for- like to receive a copy of The Lob- material in electronic, as well as ster Newsletter, but does not, ward to receiving contributions paper, format. Thanks! from all of you! please tell them how to subscribe.

Lobster Culture a Success!

You can buy almost anything from a catalog in the United States ... and here is proof that the American lobster (Homarus americanus) has joined the array of saleable commodities. For only US$99.00 you get 9'baby" lobsters and your own aquarium to grow them in. When they outgrow the containers, just ship them back to the sender, who will release them to the wild for you! We reckon these lobsters cost only US$300-400 per kg. Quite a deal, we say.

LOBSTER LAD ..: ^Jblrt thts <.Lobster Grow and Release Prts4#^.rat^ ::^ E^,^•^`",ga^s^... ..:. The 1obstt?r lstb is a #'lreÈr- story aquarium ti0t^--Yh^^^É to fEC3iast: 9 b^4bp< fi

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 1: July 1995 Page 19 ANNOUNCEMENTS

Nemuro International Workshop The Biology The Second on Lobster `95 of Crustacea World Fisheries Dr. Jiro Kittaka has announced that he will The Biology of Crustacea, a host a workshop on the biology of lobsters in the conference to celebrate and Congress city of Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan, November 19 acknowledge the contribu- - 22,1995. The focus of the Nemuro workshop is tions of Ernest Naylor, will The Second World Fish- "Biological and oceanographic processes in re- be held at the University of eries Congress, to be cruitment of spiny and clawed lobsters." The Plymouth, U.K., will be held in Brisbane, Austra- workshop will consist of several invited presen- held April 1-3, 1996. The lia 28 July - 2 August tations and contributed papers. The proceedings main categories of contribu- 1996 is likely to have a will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. tions will be Behavior, Ge- fair amount of lobster- Kittaka points out that this meeting falls about netics and Biochemistry, related talks due to its half-way between the Sanriku workshop (1993) Ecology and Taxonomy, location and sponsor- and the planned workshop in New Zealand in and Physiology. For more ship. The theme of the early 1997. If you are interested in attending this information write: congress is "Developing workshop, please write to Dr. Kittaka: and sustaining world Dr. Malcolm Jones fisheries resources: The Dr. Jiro Kittaka Department of state of science and man- Research Institute for Biological Sciences agement." For further Marine Biological Science University of Plymouth, information, write: Research Institute for Drake Circus Science and Technology Plymouth, Devon, Congress Secretariat The Science University of Tokyo United Kingdom PL4 8AA Second World 74 Onnemoto, Nemuro Fax: 44 (0) 1752 232970 Fisheries Congress Hokkaido 087-01 P.O. Box 1280 JAPAN Milton, Brisbane, QLD Fax: 81-1532-8-2282 4064 Australia Fax: 617 3369 1512 e-mail: [email protected]

July 1995 Îpbster NEWSLETTER P.O. Box 550 Halifax, NS B3J 2S7 Canada

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED VOLUME EIGHT DECEMBER 1995 • . NUMBER TWO

Videarg""dçetee,,, stero NEWSLETTER RESEARCH NEWS Lobsters use Repetitive Behavioral Experiments with the three hour time limit, un- successful trials lasted longer than Loading to Open Mol- As part of my dissertation work successful ones, though not signifi- luscan Prey (Northeastern University Marine cantly (mean total trial duration Science Center, Nahant, MA in the successful: 243+ 365.5 secs.; unsuc- From: Karen T. Lee laboratory of Dr. Joseph Ayers) on cessful: 8414.13+ 2379.97 secs.; stereotypy in Homa rus food han- Mann-Whitney U test; z=.1852, dling behavior. I videotaped p=0.064). As expected, mussels not Large clawed decapods usually starved lobsters feeding on blue consumed in three hours were sig- consume bivalves as part of their mussels (Mytilus edulis) for up to nificantly larger (compared to natural diet (Elner and Campbell, three hours per trial, analyzed the crusher length) than those con- 1987). A wide variety of opening tapes via stop-frame analysis and sumed, though there is some over- tactics have been described for described the behaviors used and lap between the ranges (successful: crabs, including direct crushing, their timing. relative prey length 0.357+ 0.023; chipping, peeling, biting and pry- range 0.34-0.4; for unsuccessful ing (for review see Lau, 1987) During the experiments, lobsters trials: 0.495+0.147; range=0.38-0.71; whereas lobsters (and some of the consumed mussels successfully in Mann-Whitney U test: z=2.507, larger crabs) have only a few 1/3 of the trials. In another 1/3 of p=0.0122). Thus, in these experi- opening tactics; relying on brute the trials lobsters attempted to ments, lobsters attempted to crush strength rather than finesse. crush mussels repeatedly without large mussels repeatedly for much success (in one trial as many as 241 longer than it took to crush smaller One of the tactics employed by times in under three hours). Even mussels. crabs is repetitive loading of bi- CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE valve prey, up to 2 pulses per minute (Boulding and Labarbera, 1986). This repetitive loading RECENT EVENTS causes failure of bivalve shells at forces lower than predicted static Phyllosoma Reared to Settlement strength and allows crabs to crush larger bivalves than would other- From: John Booth wise be possible.

Elner Campbell (1981) suggested A team headed by Dr Len Tong at the National Institute of Water and that the American Lobster, Atmospheric Research's Aquaculture Centre, Mahanga Bay, Wellington, Homarus americanus, may not em- New Zealand has reared Jasus edwardsii to settlement. The eggs hatched ploy repetitive loading as a prey in October 1994, and after 23 instars and 416 days, one metamorphosed to crushing technique, or that if it the puerulus stage. does, it is mechanically different from the technique employed by A novel upwelling culture system is thought to have been important in crabs. Our results, from a series of the high survival to Stage VIII. Ongoing work aims to improve rearing laboratory experiments, suggest systems and diets and thereby increase survival and reduce moult inter- that Homarus can use repetitive vals, particularly in the later stages. loading to open large molluscan prey. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 500 from the mean duration of reflexive RESEARCH NEWS crushes from the force transducer (1.051±0.053); Mann-Whitney U CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE test: z+-1.536, p=.1245). Physiological experiments q It seems clear, from the available behavioral, physiological, and me- To more closely examine feeding chanical evidence, that lobsters can behavior, I used electromyography use repetitive loading techniques to (emg) to monitor movement of the Co 0 50 break large molluscan prey. The chela closer muscle in freely-behav- loading is different from that used ing lobsters during crushing behav- Figure la: Relationship between mussel breaking by crabs; crabs use longer, slower ior; defined as the lobster placing strength and mussel length the mussel into the crusher claw. so As expected, larger mussels have q Analysis revealed that during this . Redlaed higher breaking strengths. The ^ Acwal • • behavior, the crusher claw often q rather crude method of testing mus- closed up to fifteen times in a single sel strength showed a clear relation- crush attempt. Thus, not only did ship between mussel length and the lobster place the mussel into the breaking strength (Fig. la). The crusher claw many times during a results of the force measurements of feeding trial, it also exerted force on claws were equally predictable. the mussel several times during a 20 Lobsters with longer crusher claws single crush attempt. The bursts of are stronger (Fig. lb). activity from the closer muscle are D, Z, 513 75 iW relatively short (ranging from 0.1- Chela Length (mm) 500 3.9 secs) and frequent (as many as Figure le: Predicted maximun size consumed 15 bursts in under 40 seconds). vs actual (This differs from the timing of repetitive loading seen in crabs, 400 force applications. Results sug- which crush only 2 times per minute.) v gest that lobsters can break larger mussels than would be predicted ü. Biomechanics experiments 100 if they were only using brute force. More detailed examination To look at the relationship between of the food handling behavior of .♦ Homarus americanus should un- crushing force and breaking 0', 40 120 160 cover further complexities not strength, three sets of experiments CrusherLzngth(mm)80 previously described. were performed: first, the static Figure lb: Relationship of maximum reflexive strength of mussels was tested, by crushing force to crushed length loading them with weights until the LITERATURE CITED mussels cracked; second, the force These regression equations pre- Boulding, E.G. and M. Labarbera (1986) produced by reflexive closing of the dicted that lobsters should only be Biol. Bull. 171: 538-547. Elner, R.W. and A. Campbell (1981) J. crusher claw was measured using a able to break mussels up to 25% of pressure transducer attached to a Zool., Lond. 193: 269-286. crusher length if using outright Elner, R.W. and A. Campbell (1987) Mar. fluid-filled piece of tubing crushing. Results from the feeding Ecol. Prog. Ser. 37: 131-140. (Microswitch Corp.). Lobsters were experiments, on the other hand, Lau, C.J. (1987) Bull. Mar. Sci. 41: 378-391. removed from the water and the showed that lobsters were able to tube placed into the crusher claw, consume mussels much larger than Karen T. Lee inducing reflexive crushing. The 25% of crusher length when given Dept. of Zoology results from the first two experi- time to do so (Fig. lc). As expected, Connecticut College ments were used to calculate the lobsters with larger claws con- New London, CT 06320 maximum sized mussel that a lob- sumed larger mussels. ster could crush. The third experi- ment tested this prediction. Sepa- An additional piece of evidence rately housed lobsters were emerged from these experiments. provided 5 mussels at a time and Temporal parameters of reflexive checked each day to see which crushing resemble those of the emg mussels had been consumed. In- recordings. The mean burst dura- creasingly large mussels were pro- tion from the emg recordings of vided in successive trials until mus- crusher closer muscle (0.846±0.067 sels remained unconsumed for 5 secs) was not significantly different days.

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 2 Test of a Method for ber of elements in the Cuticular Carapace length, as a measure of Telling the Age and Articulated Peg Organ of Homarus integumental growth, also in- gammarus. Cuticular Articulate creases linearly. This suggests Stage of a Rock Lobster Pegs (CAPs) are the peg-like ele- that we are still in the early juve- ments of proprioceptive arrays nile stage of development where From: David MacMillan, Mark Tho- situated close to the articulating growth of the integument and mas and Tobi Stuart membranes of crabs, lobsters and nervous system are expected to other macrurans (Laverack, 1978). run parallel. As the animals con- CAP organs provide the animal' tinue to age, their integument Most readers of The Lobster with information about joint angles growth will tail off. Whether or Newsletter will know of the con- by signaling how many of their not the CAP organs will continue tribution of Professor Mike pegs are deflected by the articulat- to develop at a rate independent Laverack to our understanding of ing membrane of the joint during of size, is still unclear. To maxi- crustacean receptors and of the flexion and extension (Oakley and mize the difference in the size of untimely death of he and his wife Macmillan, 1980). animals of the same age we re- when the helicopter in which they cently divided our animals into were traveling crashed during a We are now midway through a three groups: normal tempera- field trip to Australia's Great Bar- project comparing the growth ture, lowered temperature and rier Reef in 1993. At the time of curves for various body parameters raised temperature. This will his death we were about to start a and the number of CAPs in the improve our chances of seeing series of experiments based on a CAP organs of jas us edznardsii to see whether the program responsible hypothesis of his that grew out of whether CAPs could be used to for the development of the CAP an interest in the number of neu- give an independent estimate of the organs is independent of the exter- rons in crustaceans. age of this animal. The attraction of nal size of the animal or not a CAP measurement is that in ma- within a reasonable experimental The number of motor neurons and ture animals it could be carried out time frame. interneurons is determined early without special equipment by any in development and the number observer. L[TEP.ATURE CITED of sensory neurons increases in various ways depending on the We are studying integumental Laverack,'t9.S. (1978) Mar. Behav. sense organ or modality involved, Ph\,siol. ^: 231-242. growth and CAP development by Laverack, A1-S. (1957) In Ncrtvtr. Su,^h°m in some reaching the adult number collecting the moult cases of indi- Irr^^rrtehr^7tr.. Ed. M.A. Ali, Plenum, early, others growing throughout vidual animals as the), pass through N.Y. Pp. 323-332. life (Laverack, 1987, 1988). Mike consecutive developmental stages. Laverack, M.S. (1965) J. Cn^^lsc^°^^n P>io1. 8: 1-11. surmised that the genetic instruc- The animals have been cultured tions for growing the nervous Oakle\-, J.K. and Macmillan, D.L. 119&O) from puerulus stage larvae, housed Mn.;rBolra^•. f'hu=in;. 7: 233-247. system and related structures, individually in a recirculating sea- which are internal, might differ water system and checked daily for from those responsible for devel- moults. So we have, in the moult Daz,id Macnrillan, Mark Thomas and oping the external integument. If cases, a complete history of the Tobi Stuart this were the case, the number of animal's growth and CAP organ Dcpartnrcnt of Zoology neuronal sensors in some external development since the puerulus Urri^,crsity of Mc^Ibourne sense organs might reflect the age stage. We would be pleased to Parkz,illc Vic. 3052 or moult stage of the animal irre- discuss making some of these speci- FAX: +613-93-44-19-09 spective of the size of the integu- mens available to other researchers E'rrlall: ment on which they are situated. who could derive information from Zoomac claricl.ucs.rrnimclb.edu.au In other words, neurally derived them. The morphology and num- structures might, in some cases, ber of CAPs in the organ monitor- grow at a steady rate different ing the mero-carpopodite joints of The work is supported by a grant from that of the integument, the 4th and 5th legs has been re- from the Fisheries Research and which is clearly subject to consid- corded by examining the moult Development Corporation (Aus- erable variation. If there were cases in the Scanning Electron Mi- tralia) to David Macmillan. external receptors that developed croscope and capturing the images in this way, their size and number on computer for measurement and on the surface could provide a graphical analysis. non-invasive means of determin- ing the age or stage of the animal. The number of CAPs in the CAP In support of this idea, Mike pro- organs of early juvenile Jas us ap- duced some preliminary evidence pears to increase in a linear fashion on the rate of increase in the num- with developmental stage and age.

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 3 Table 2. RESEARCH NEWS Species seen in video recordings attacking tagged juvenile lobsters Predators of Young (<40 mm CL). Released European Coelenterates Teatia felina L. (sea anemone) Lobsters Fish Micrenophrys lileborgi Collet (Norway bullhead) Birds Larus argentatus L. (common gull) From: G.I. van der Meeren

Releases of hatchery-reared juve- water before release at the surface nile lobsters. Animals in Norwe- nile Homarus gammarus L. were of shallow (<10m) waters. Releases gian waters which are known made in west Norway between took place on calm days in Novem- predators of lobster juveniles up 1988 and 1994 by personnel of the ber and between February and May to 40 mm CL are listed in Table 1. Institute of Marine Research. Re- (van der Meeren 1994), at a density Table 2 lists species which have leases since 1990 were part of the of one lobster m1 of shore. Accli- attacked our tagged juveniles, but government sea ranching pro- matized lobsters either sank slowly have not eaten them. All species, gram, PUSH. Between 9,800 and or swam steadily to the sea bed; and there are probably others, are 39,700 juveniles (10-40 mm CL) finding shelter within one hour; no common in coastal waters of Nor- were released each year (van der predation was observed. way and must be regarded as a Meeren 1994). Transportation and threat to young lobsters. We are release techniques were described Lobsters released since 1990 have studying, year-round, fish and in van der Meeren and Uglem been tagged with Bergman-Jefferts decapod species in various lobster (1993). We identified predators of magnetic microwire tags (van de habitats and the survival of lob- the releases by diving and by fish- Meeren and Uglem 1993). These sters released into these habitats; ing with trammel and hoop nets. tags can been detected in the gut of the ranking of the most effective predators will result.

Table 1 Acknowledgements:

Species known to rey on released juvenile lobster (<40 mm CL) based Many people too numerous to list, on underwater vidéo recordings (rec), recovery of tags from the predators assisted in this research and are gut (tag), or through recovery of juvenile lobster remnants in the gut (obs). thanked. Special thanks is ex- Crustacea Honttrrus gammarus L. (European lobster) tag tended to L. Ydstebo and H. Naess Carcinus maenas L. (common shore crab) rec for data collection and E. Cancer pagurus L. (edible crab) tag Farestveit for underwater video recordings. Fish Gadus morhua L. (cod) tag Anguilla anguilla L. (eel) obs Labrus bergylta Ascanius (Ballan wrasse) obs/ree/tag Labrus bimaculatus L. (cuckoo wrasse) obs/tag LITERATURE CITED Symphodus melops L. (corkwing) obs/tag van der Meeren, G.I. 1991. Aqua. Engin. Taurulus bubalis Eurphrasen (sea scorpion) tag 10: 55-64. Platichtysflesus (flounder) tag van der Meeren, G.I. 1994. In: ICES workshop to evaluate the potentialfor stock enhancemerrt, ICES, Copenhagen, pp. Prior to 1990, the release of lob- predators following lobster diges- 131-139. sters by divers, onto the sea bed tion. We were sure these fish (180- van der Meeren, G.I. and I. Uglem. 1993. Fisken og Havet #7, Institute of Marine each August without acclimation 350 mm long) were indeed the di- Research, Bergen, Norway. to ambient water temperature rect lobster predator as they were caused problems. Ten percent of generally too small to have eaten the juvenile lobsters swam rapidly prey sufficiently large to have Gro I. van der Meeren up and down in the water column preyed on our released lobsters. Institute of Marine Research like a jig, while the remainder lay The microwire tags removed from Austevoll Aquaculture Research immobile on the sea bed, resulting the fish provided information on Station in about 10% mortality by preda- age and size of the lobster. N-5392 Storebo tory labrid fish in the first few hours (van der Meeren 1991). Predators of small crustacea and From 1990, lobsters were acclima- mussels - birds, mammals, and fish tized for at least 30 min in ambient - are all potential predators of juve-

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 4 Killing Lobsters Humanely: FISHERIES AND Call for Discussion From: Paul Breen A University of Maine report (I've AQUACULTURE only seen indirect references to it) UPDATE What's a humane way to kill a used "twitching" as a measure of lobster? In New Zealand, re- distress in comparing various meth- cently, we had a short-lived media ods of killing lobster. Experimental trap-fish- frenzy when a local politician ing for Natal deep-water claimed that chopping the tail off There's an obvious danger in using a lobster was "barbaric". behavior to re flect "distress", or spiny lobster (Palinurus lack of a particular behavior to re- delagoae) off South Africa Whether or not you think this a flect lack of "distress", at least subject important enough to without supporting evidence. How in 1994 and 1995. spend time on likely depends on do we know what the behavior your country's views on the topic; really signifies? From: Johan Groeneveld nevertheless, for some of us it's going to be a re-occurring prob- This concern flows on to the poten- The deep-water spiny lobster, lem. Animal rights people are tial for replacing the "common" Palinurus delagoae is endemic to beginning to consider and method of killing with a less hu- the south-east African coast where invertebrates, so for lobster fisher- mane one. The University of Maine it occurs off northern ies the issue has the potential to study found that 'hypnotizing' Mozambique, southern Madagas- damage markets. For example, lobsters before cooking (rubbing car and eastern South Africa. It animal ethics committees are start- them while holding them head inhabits both rocky- and organi- ing to work their way down to down; thought to be more humane cally-rich muddy substrata at crustaceans in codes of than straight cooking) actually in- practice depths of 100 - 600 m where it that affect all researchers. creased the twitching time during forms a substantial by-catch in a cooking. multispecies crustacean trawl There seems to be a great lack of fishery, operating off South Africa definitive information. In re- Is biological science able to develop and Mozambique since the early searching a response from our a coherent and consistent opinion 1960's (Groeneveld and Melville- Minister, I came across a variety of on this issue? What experimental Smith 1995). Experimental trap- essentially speculative arguments, evidence is available from the fishing of P. delagoae in South Afri- but nothing very solid. One people who work inside lobsters was introduced in school of thought is that the lob- and write those intimidating pa- can waters 1994, after a commercial fishing ster brain is too primitive to regis- pers? In the absence of any such concern had shown interest in ter pain. I scanned a lot of ab- information, and under the as- exploiting the resource by this stracts from recent lobster sumption that lobsters do feel pain, method. A number of local fish- neurological work, and couldn't how do we proceed towards a cred- ing concerns operate a similar find anything that even seemed ible scientific opinion on whether relevant to this level long-line trap-fishery on spiny of question. specific methods are cruel or not? lobster, Palinurus gilchristi, off the south coast. Suitable fishing ves- A colleague sent me a copy of LITERATURE CITED sels, equipment and expertise Gunter's (1961) paper, suggesting were thus available for our winter- that slowly raising the water tem- Gtinter, G. 1961. Science 133: 327. month experiments, when south perature to about 40°C killed crabs coast vessels are normally laid up. and lobsters "quickly, without pain". The "without pain" step referred to in this and other argu- P.A. Breen CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ments I came across is inferred NIWA from gross behaviour. Gunter P.O. Box 14-901 said the anirnals "die quickly and Kilbirnie easily without showing distress". 1Vellinglon Conversely, we tend to think that NEW ZEALAND tail-flipping and leg-scrabbling reflect distress when lobsters are boiled (as down here) or placed in fresh water. The movements seen after "tailing" could reflect dis- tress or could be entirely reflexive.

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 5 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE current regime on fishing gear mental areas, and south of Durban These vessels could fish east coast prompted some modifications to (30° - 20°42'S) in the southern half. rocky areas that are inaccessible to the survey strategy before the sec- These two areas were separated trawl nets. ond survey experiment got under- by a stretch of muddy sea-bottom way in 1995. Changes included an on which the light, barrel-shaped The area needing surveying ex- experimental TAC of 104 tons plastic traps caught little. North tended southwards along the whole mass (including both P. of Cape Vidal and extending to Kwazulu-Natal coast, from the delagoae and S. elisabethae), the de- Mozambique, a marine reserve Mozambique border at 27°S to velopment of an extensive grid that stretches 3 nm seawards from 32°S, the southernmost latitude of system which covered the shelf the coast restricted trapping to the which P. delagoae distribution. In according to depth and latitude, deepest grids (> 350 m), where this area, between the depth inter- and the elimination of both the small lobsters (mostly <0.25 kg/ val 75 and 425 in the area was shallowest depth interval (50 - 112.5 lobster) were caught. Catches in subdivided by depth and latitude, m) and the stations south of 31°S, as all areas compared well with 1994. and in 19941ong-lines with traps little was caught in these areas in The best catches in 1994 were were set roughly parallel to the made in 250 - 400 coast at 75, 150, 250, m depth (Cockcroft 300, 350 and 400 m et al. In press) com- depths along Raise 9 Real Lobsters And Participate In Th pared to 200 - 375 transects separated m in 1995. by 15-25'. Size com- "Lobster Grow And Release Program.J position and cpue You'tl learn about aouacuiture and Number of S. data were collected the growing of 'reat live' lobsters. elisabethae made up by researchers The tobster lab is a three story 32.6% of trap aboard the vessels; aquarium aesignea to house nine catches in 1995 the data were used baby iobsters in an aquarium con- compared to 31.2% to establish the size dominium tabricated from Lucite. Kit includés a circulating in 1994. However, distribution and pump, complete biological filtration when P. delagoae availability to traps system, lobster tood, instruction was specifically of P. delagoae. Depth targeted at its pre- had the strongest manual and a full coior illustrated Story book called Amy's Aquaculture ferred depth and influence on size area, catches of S. distribution, mean Adventure. Included is a lobster elisabethae declined carapace length in- coupon to send for your nine baby to 17.1%, presum- creasing as depth lobsters which are express mailed to ably because it decreased from 400 your home (handling tee add'I). prefers a slightly to 150 m, and based When the lobsters are too targe tor different depth and on this, a long term the aquarium, return them to the softer muddier inshore migration Aquatic Farm and new baby Ioasters bottom type than pattern of P. delagoae P. delagoae does. was suggested by will be shipped to you. The large lob- Cockcroft et al. (In sters are then released back into their S052.508 $78.00 A sustainable com- press). Relative natural habitat. mercial fishery abundances of 446.8 envisaged for the g.trap-' for P. east coast region delagoae and 144.9 g.trap' for the 1994. Each grid was sampled with would face a number of practical slipper lobster (Scyllarides two long-lines before the commer- problems. The southward-bound elisabethae) by-catch indicated that cial vessel could fish its TAC. Con- Agulhas current overflows the a commercial trap fishery would currently, 5000 P. delagoae were fishing grounds and in both an- be effective (Groeneveld et al. In tagged for growth and migration nual surveys it stopped effective press). studies. fishing early in September buoy submergence for extended peri- It was decided a second experi- Concentrations of P. delagoae could ods. Strong currents presented ment would improve the abun- be identified clearly by depth and few problems between June (when dance estimates and provide an- area after the 1995 survey. Com- the experiments started) and Au- other annual data point for the mercial densities of large, P. gust. Taking this into account, an cpue and size composition time delagoae (0.5 - 3kg/lobster) occurred earlier start to the annual fishing series. Information on the distri- in two distinct areas, from Cape season would be advisable, bution and abundance of P. Vidal (28°S) to Richards Bay (29"5) though it must be synchronized delagoae, the bottom topography of in the northern half of the experi- the shelf, and the influence of the CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 6 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE delagoae in trawls has increased Cockcroft, A.C., Groeneveld, J.C. and G.C. with the breeding season, previ- significantly in the past five years; it Cruywagen (In Press). S. Afr. J. mar. Sci. ously (Berry 1973, Kondritsky has been targeted more often owing 16: Groeneveld, J.C., Cockcroft, A.C. and G.C. 1976) shown to fall off sharply in to decreased catches of prawns Cruywagen (In Press). S. Afr. J. mar. Sc i. May. (Groeneveld and Melville-Smith 16: 1995). Largest annual lobster catch Groeneveld, J.C. and R. Melville-Smith. In southern-most latitudes, trap- by trawlers was 33.4 tons in 1993. 1995. S. Afr. I. nnar. Sci. 15: 123-136. Pending the results of the research Kondritskiy, A.V. 1976. Hydrobiol. J. 12(5): ping was made hazardous by a 59-61. steep bottom gradient and strong surveys, an additional directed * currents. In this region, the distri- trap-fishery taking in the order of Johan Groeneveld butional ranges of P. delagoae and 100 tons of P. delagoae annually is Sea Fisheries Research Institute P. gilchristi overlapped, with de- envisaged for the east coast, which Private Bag X2 creasing numbers of P. delagoae in would make this the third most Rogge Bay 8012 deep water (> 250 m), which corre- important spiny lobster fishery off Cape Town sponded to increasing numbers of South Africa, after the fisheries for SOUTH AFRICA P. gilchristi in slightly shallower West Coast lobster Jasus lalandii and water. Harsh bottom and current South Coast lobster P. gilchristii. conditions here are expected to serve as a natural barrier between LITERATURE CITED the two fisheries. Berry, P.F. 1973. investi Rep. Oceanogr. Res. Inst. S. Afr. 31: 27 pp. P. delagoae in South African wa- ters, is currently subjected to ex- ploitation by traps and trawling. In fact, the importance of P.

sex ratio of these differed from that Strait between June and Septem- RESEARCH NEWS of the deeper reefs. The extent of ber each year. Until now this ex- these breeding grounds still needs planation had been merely a hy- Distribution of lobster to be confirmed and this is the aim pothesis as there was no of fieldwork planned for February information on the distribution larvae in the NW Coral 1996. and abundance of larvae relative Sea to these major currents. Further, Questions also remain regarding the actual trajectories may be far From: Roland Pitcher, Darren Den- larval transport and which, if any, more complex given that lobster nis, Tim Skewes, Chris Evans and of the known breeding populations larvae are capable of considerable Phillip Polon may be a source of recruitment to diurnal migrations and active the Torres Strait fishery - this swimming. knowledge will delimit the bound- In 1990, scientists from Papua aries of the stock. The transport To address the question of larval New Guinea and Australia sur- pathways of the ornate rock lobster transport, CSIRO personal veyed the deep waters of the Gulf larvae from the breeding grounds sampled several areas in the north- of Papua and the far northern to Torres Strait are virtually un- western Coral Sea during 2 weeks Great Barrier Reef, using a known, but possible trajectories of in May, 1995 using their research manned submersible, with the aim larvae from the eastern Gulf of vessel, F.R.V. Southern Surveyor. of documenting the distribution of Papua breeding grounds were stud- The cruise dates were chosen to breeding populations of the tropi- ied during 1990, by CSIRO person- maximize the chances of sampling cal spiny lobsters Panulirus orna fus nel plotting the movements of satel- lobster larvae in the Coral Sea. (Lobs. Newsl. 1991, 4(2): 8-9). lite tracked drifters. These, and Breeding finishes in March and Very few lobsters were seen in the similar drifters released by AIMS, settlement in Torres Strait begins Gulf of Papua, despite the well indicated the presence of a clock- in June, thus the sampling win- documented annual breeding wise gyre in the far north-western dow is narrow. Larvae were migrations across it; however, Coral Sea (Fig. 1). The gyre has the sampled day and night, at several high densities were seen on deep potential to mix larvae from both depths, and over two moon phases (40-100 m) relic reefs on the edge the far north-eastem Queensland using a large mouthed (70m2) pe- of the far northern Great Barrier coast and Gulf of Papua breeding lagic trawl net, leased from the Reef. Some lobsters were also grounds and retain them adjacent New Zealand Ministry of Agricul- present on adjacent shallow coral to Torres Strait until the SE trade ture and Fisheries. reefs, but the size-distribution and winds could return them to Torres CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 7 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Influence of Sea Tem- Trends of inter-annual changes of both CPUE and sea temperature The net was towed for 2 1/2 hrs perature on the Abun- influenced abundance, but not in a between approximately 500 m and dance of Spiny Lobsters linear way (Evans & Evans, 1995). 5 m, stratified into five depths by Graphical analyses indicated em- a multiple opening/closing cod- at Bermuda pirical quadratic associations be- end system, on each of six shots in tween industry CPUE in the P. each of areas 1-6 (Areas 7-11 were From: C.R. Evans, A.M. Lockwood argus and P. guttatus fisheries and not completed due to mechanical and A.J. Evans the annual average sea tempera- problems with the vessel) located ture at Hamilton Harbour. Inter- in the north-western Coral Sea The fishery for spiny lobster on annual change in the combined (P. (Fig. 1). More than 2,700 the Bermuda Platform produced argus-P. guttatus spiny lobster phyllosomas and 125 pueruli were annual yields of about 30,000 Ber- stock abundance level also sug- caught - most adjacent to the muda lobsters, Panulirus argus gested an association of abun- Great Barrier Reef, with catches (Latreille), and about 25,000 Guinea dance with the average sea tem- decreasing eastwards across the chick (spotted or star) lobsters, perature of the Bermuda Platform Coral Sea. A wide range of sizes Pan ulirus guttatus (Latreille), during (Evans & Evans 1995). and developmental stages of sev- 1975-1989. P. guttatus is restricted eral different species of to the reef-crest line and adjacent Extension of the Lellis and Russell phyllosomas were caught - one reefs, whereas P. argus is found (1990) model to explain industry phyllosoma was approximately 85 over the Island shelf; animals in the CPUE and yield of P. argus_and P. mm total length. Most of the inshore harbours and sounds con- guttatus at Bermuda (for 1975- pueruli were of one form. About stitute a protected P. argus nursery 1989) formed the basis of a paper 30 of these were returned live to area. Development of P. argus by Evans et al. 1995), who hypoth- the Cleveland laboratory where phyllosoma larvae from hatching to esized that temperature is impor- they were cultured and identified metamorphosis around Bermuda tant in determining the timing and as P. ornatus after moulting into takes approximately one year. level of annual recruitment to the coloured post-pueruli. We sus- Post-settlement growth to legal-size fishery. Their analyses indicates pect the majority of phyllosomas (>92mm CL) takes about three that CPUE and yield of P. argus caught were P. ornatus as well, years. and P. guttatus were each associ- however, detailed examination ated, by quadratic expressions, and identification of all There is an association between sea with the annual average sea tem- phyllosomas sampled, has yet to surface temperature, inshore abun- perature of the Bermuda Platform be completed. dance of Homarus americanus and (Evans et al, 1995). The CPUE of catch fluctuation in the Maine P. argus by lobster season (Sep- Plans to complete this research (USA) fishery. Dow (1980) illus- tember-March) was associated with another Southern Surveyor trated a linear positive correlation with the average sea temperature cruise in May 1997, will enhance of annual H. americanus landings (y) (at Hamilton Harbour) of the year our understanding of larval ecol- on annual sea surface temperature (January through December) in ogy, in particular their vertical (x) during 1957-1968, with the fol- which the lobster season began, and horizontal distribution, lowing function: y = -30.8 + 1.54x. but this was not the case for calen- growth, larval retention areas and Lellis and Russell (1990), in an dar year CPUE (Fig. 1). Evans et al sinks, possible recruitment mecha- aquarium-based study, developed a (1995) concluded that catchability nisms, and stock boundaries for quadratic model for the growth and was unlikely to be the underlying resource management. survival of postlarval P. argus. The cause of the associations observed. basal metabolic rate of the Roland Pitcher, Darren Dennis and postlarvae increased with increas- In summary, growth and survival Tim Skewes ing temperature, but food uptake of late juvenile P. argus and P. CSIRO Division of Fisheries did not increase to maintain body guttatus into the fishable stock at Marine Laboratories growth at high temperatures. Sur- Bermuda is controlled in a qua- Cleveland vival had a quadratic response to dratic fashion chiefly by sea tem- Queensland 4164 temperature also; at higher tem- perature with a six month re- Australia peratures this was related to mor- sponse lag to physiological stimuli tality at a ecdysis. Survival, moult and constraints. The optimum Chris Evans and Phillip Polon increment and moult frequency of annual sea temperature for sur- National Fisheries Authority postlarval P. argus were each corre- vival and growth of late juvenile Konedobu lated with temperature by qua- phase P. argus into the fishery is NCD dratic regression functions, with an 23.6 +/- SE 0.2°C, the comparable Pa pua, New Guinea optimum of 29-30°C for survival optimum temperature for P. and growth at this stage (Lellis & Russell 1990). CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 8 CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE fecundity in two species, Jasus During a sabbatical visit to New edwardsii in New Zealand and Zealand by Mark Butler, a labora- recruitment is 24.1 +/- SE guttatus Panulirus argus in Florida. tory experiment was set up at 0.10 C (Evans et a1,1995). NIWA facilities at Great Point to test for the effects of mate size on LITERATURE CITED The relative size of both male and female may impose important courting, egg-bearing, fertilization Dow, R.L. (1980). The clawed lobster physical, physiological and behav- rates and fecundity. Three levels fisheries. In'The Biology and Manage- ioral constraints on the success of of male size, covering the size ment of Lobsters, Volume II: courting, copulation and subse-_ range of mature males, were intro- Ecology and Management'. (Eds J.S. quent fertilization rates. Spiny duced to 5 premoult, unmated Cobb and B.F. Phillips.) pp. 265- lobsters copulate sternum to ster- females (over the size range of 316. (Academic Press: New York). mature females) in each of 5 repli- Evans, C.R. and Evans, A.J. (1995). num after rising to a vertical em- Fisheries ecology and spiny lobsters brace. Small individuals may not cate tanks per treatment. They Panulirus argus and P. guttatus be able to physically accomplish were monitored daily for moult- (Latreille) at Bermuda: estimates of this with a larger mate. If small ing, courting, and egg bearing sustainable yields and observa- males have a limited sperm supply from March-August 1995. Sixty tions on trends in abundance. Fisheries then the consequences for a female days after mating, whole egg Research 24: 113-128. clutches were removed from Evans, C.R., Lockwood, A.P.M., Evans, A.J. could be reduced rates of fertiliza- mated females for later determina- (1995). Associations between sea tion or a reluctance to mate at all. temperature, catch per unit of fishing In Jasus species the spermatophore tion of fertilization rates and total effort and yield in the Bermuda Spiny is short lived (hours) and starts to egg number. These await analy- Lobster Fishery 1975-1989. Marine and quickly disintegrate; hence, females sis. Results of the experiment so Freshwater Research 46. 809-818. immediately extrude their one an- far indicate that very large males, Lellis, W.A., and Russell, J.A. (1990). Effect 185-210 mm CL, have a high prob- of temperature on survival, growth and nual clutch immediately after mat- feed intake of postlarval spiny lobsters ing. Thus in Jasus females may ability of mating with all-sized Panulirus argus. Aquaculture 90(1),1-9. show greater discrimination in females (overall mating probabil- choice of mates than in Palinurus ity = 0.92), whereas small males, and Panulirus species where the 90-100 mm CL, are most success- spermatophore is long-lived (days ful with smaller females and over- C.R. Evans to months), increasing the potential all mated with only 50% of the National Fisheries Authority for multiple mating by females to females available to them. Inter- Research and Surveys Branch ensure that enough sperm is avail- mediate sized males had interme- P.O. Box 165 able to fertilize all eggs. diate success. Inexperience, sperm Konedobu, NCD depletion, female choice and be- Papua, New Guinea havioral inhibition by larger fe- We are taking advantage of striking males are several reasons whv differences in the size composition small males were less successful A.M. Lockwood and A.J. Evans of lobster populations in marine Department of Oceanography than large males. These will be reserves and adjacent fished areas explored in another series of ex- University of Southampton to make inferences about the effects Highfield, Southampton, UK periments in the 1996 breeding of size on mating. Four adjacent season. populations J. edwardsii in northern New Zealand, two protected for at Similar field work and laboratory least a decade and two heavily experiments will be conducted on Spiny Lobsters Sex: Is fished, were surveyed during the P. argus in Florida, as part of a peak of mating in June 1995 to de- reciprocal visit by MacDiarmid, in Bigger Always Better? termine lobster abundance, size March-July 1996. frequency, sex ratio, female size at From: Alistair MacDiartnid, Rob Qnset of maturity and courting ac- Stewart and Mark Butler tivity. Egg clutches from a size range of females were subsequently Alistair MacDiarmid and Rob collected from each population to Stezvart Does mate size affect mating National Institute of Water & success and fertilization rates in estimate fertilization rates and real- ized fecundity. These await analy- Ahnospheric Research spiny lobsters? This is an impor- P.O. Box 14-901 tant question, both for captive sis. We observed 57 courting pairs; Wellington, NZ breeding programs and also for in all but two cases the male was the wild fishery where intense larger than the female by between fishing reduces the abundance 10-90 mm CL. In two cases the Rob Butler and mean size of males relative to couples were of equal size. Court- Old Doininion University females. We are part way through ing males were always larger than Norfolk, Virginia a program of field and laboratory the mean size of mature males in USA studies designed to examine the each population. effects of mate size on mating success, fertilization rates and

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 9 whose phyllosoma larvae are in the the insular species J. tristani of the RESEARCH NEWS currents of the open ocean. South Atlantic, whose larvae drift from Tristan da Cunha and Gough One possible explanation is that islands towards the south-western Why is the Spiny Lob- some larvae of j. frontalis do reach coast of southern Africa, but ster asus Absent from the coast of Chile, but do not meta- which never appear to metamor- morphose and settle, because of a phose and settle there (Pollock, the Chilean Coast? lack of appropriate environmental 1990; 1991). Instead, a continental cues to trigger metamorphosis. A species, J. lalandii occurs abun- From: Dave Pollock close analogy exists in the case of dantly along the west coast of southern Africa, between latitudes of approx. 25° to 35°S. This is an upwelling region, similar in envi- ronmental characteristics to the ©o coast of Chile at similar latitudes.

Why has a continental-type spe- cies [like J. lalandii or J. edwardsii (S. Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand)] never colonized the Chilean coast? i_ °r_-_ _---_ 7roeI2_ of Canm ______';^\ One possible answer to this may lie in the characteristics of ocean - -11 ^ ^1^,^ 01 S. Pacific Gyre current circulation off the coast of -0 -^--^_^---- ÏP,eofcapnce^------^-- r5.Atlanh^G>•-r^ ♦ / Chile. Several Jasus species ap- Indian Gyrej pear to rely on large-scale ocean r ^^ -^^-^1 J ^ \-`^^ ^/• `__► Subtropical Corivergeme gyres to act as dispersal and re- turn mechanisms for their long- ^^ ^----^ lived phyllosoma larvae. Ex- Figure 1

Species of the coolwater spiny V'w lobster genus, Jasus, have success- fi.tlly colonized a number of island and mainland habitats at latitudes north of the subtropical conver- gence, in all three ocean basins of the southern hemisphere (Fig. 1).

Despite apparently ideal environ- mental conditions on the coast of Chile, with adequate rocky sub- strate, kelp beds and suitable food supplies in the form of mussels J. frontalis® Juan and other molluscs, crustaceans, I Femandez sea urchins, polychaetes, etc., this 9o^w 90"E coastline is devoid of spiny lob- sters. However, some 700 km offshore, at approx. 34°S latitude, the Juan Fernandez islands sup- .% port a population of the large- edwardsii growing species Jasusfrontalis. The waters here, being oceanic in . edwardsii AUSTRALIA nature, are less productive than - NEW the cooler, upwelled waters along ZEALAND the coast of Chile, and it remains an interesting puzzle as to why the mainland coast of Chile has apparently never been colonized 18011V by J. frontalis or any other jasus, Figure 2 CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 10 CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ease, predation or competition in whether they move inshore. This times gone by, the ideas on larval study confirmed that lobsters amples are J. tristani and J. lalandii recruitment presented here may were originating from within the whose larvae appear to be trans- provide a useful insight into the reserve, and that lobsters tagged ported within the large scale mo- importance of large scale oceano- beyond the boundary return to the tion of the S. Atlantic gyre. Larvae graphic systems for the mainte- reserve reef system. The timing of of the South Indian Ocean species nance of Jasus populations in the offshore movement was found to J. paulensis, from St Paul and New ocean basins of the southern hemi- vary for different size and sex Amsterdam islands, probably also sphere. components of the population. rely for their dispersal and return Large males (over 130mm CL) on the gyre current system of the LITERATURE CITED were found in summer, following South Indian Ocean, which circu- the main male ecdysis period, and lates via the coast of southern Pollock, D.E. 1990. Bull. Mar. Sci. 46(2): in winter after the mating season. Madagascar, the east coast of 387405. Both ecdysis (McKoy and southern Africa (Agulhas current) Pollock, D.E. 1991. S. Afr. J. mar. Sci. 10: 1- 12. Esterman 1981) and mating (A. and retroflects south of the Cape MacDiarmid pers. com.) are ener- to return eastward, flowing past St getically expensive processes, Paul and New Amsterdam at Dave Pollock during which feeding rates are approx. 38"S, to recirculate back Sea Fisheries Research Institute reduced, so offshore movement into the South Indian Equatorial Private Bag X2 may be associated with increased current at about 700 to 80°E (Fig. Rogge Bay foraging intensity to rebuild meta- 2). 8012 Cape Town bolic reserves. SOUTH AFRICA Coastal waters of Chile are de- During the day these animals rived from the Humboldt current, remain on the sand flats where which originates from subantarc- they form defensive aggregations, tic waters south of the subtropical Offshore Movement of rather than returning to the reef convergence, and flows north for shelter. Up to 40 animals have along the western seaboard of the Spiny Lobster jas us been observed in circular aggrega- South America (Fig. 1). Coastal edwardsii tions, however single lobsters waters are modified and cooled have also been found on the sand further by upwelling as they move From: Shane Kelly during the same period. The lob- northwards to form the Peru sters face outwards with their coastal current. However, the antennae pointing upright. If islands of Juan Fernandez lie well The offshore movement of spiny disturbed they arc their antennae offshore of the old Humboldt cur- lobster, Jas us edzrardsii, have been over their backs, and often move rent, being situated within the examined over the last two years in aggressively towards the threat. eastern margin of the South Pacific the Cape Rodney to Okakari Point Though a single individual within anticyclonic gyre system, which Marine Reserve in northern New an aggregation can respond ag- circulates between the islands to Zealand. When the marine reserve gressively to a threat, such as the as far west as the coasts of Austra- was established in 1975, the sea- presence of a diver. In places with lia and New Zealand (Fig. 2). Pre- ward boundary was set at 800m limited ground cover, such as sumably, larvae of J.frontalis may from shore, thereby providing a horse mussel (Atrina zealandica) return to their native island habi- buffer zone for the reef system, beds, they may lie against the tat after months or years of drift- which extends out 300m. The sub- substrate with antennae held flat ing in the south Pacific gyral cur- strate around the boundary consists ,of sand flats, dominated by various on the sand, enabling them to rent. In contrast, the Chilean coast blend into the background. Al- appears to be isolated from the bivalves, whelks, and small crabs, all of which are potential prey though they have not been ob- Pacific gyral current per se, owing served buried, a thin layer of sand items for J. edzoardsii. Fishers to the presence of the subantarctic commonly collects on their backs, Humboldt current and upwelling dredging for scallops around the reserve boundary in the mid 1980s providing an effective form of zone along the coast. Lack of a camouflage. suitable large-scale current system brought up lobsters; when lobster traps were set, substantial numbers for dispersal and return of McKoy and Leachman (1982) phyllosoma larvae may thus have of lobsters were caught. In subse- quent years large numbers of lob- found similar aggregations of precluded successful colonization ovigerous females offshore in and maintenance of recruitment sters have been taken annually from around the reserve boundary . winter, close to the end of their by Jas us species along the coast of egg bearing season, and proposed Chile. Although other explana- a movement away from the reef, tions are possible, eg. a coastal A tagging program was established Chilean jas us taxa could have to determine the origin of lobsters CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 I become extinct as a result of dis- caughtoffshore, and to determine The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 11 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Although Prof. Kittaka and his RECENT EVENTS team have grown several species of spiny lobster (including J. edwardsii) to settlement at Sanriku, A new Species of Jasus has been found Japan, it is understood that this is the first time out of Japan that a From: John Booth and Rick Webber spiny lobster has been cultured from egg to settlement. It is almost 110 years since the last new Jasus species was reported. Ad- John Booth mittedly, novaehollandiae and Urontalis were not separated from J. lalandii NIWA until 1963 (and J. novaehollandiae has since been found to be indistinguish- P.O. Box 14-901 able from J. edwardsii), however, the Jasus tristani we know today from Kilbirnie Tristan da Cunha and the Vema Seamount in the South Wellington was first described in 1888 by Bate (as Palinostus lalandii). We now have a New Zealand further species of Jasus, the name and full description for which we ex- Tele#: 64-4-386-0300 pect to give in the December 1995 issue of the New Zealand Journal of Ma- Fax #: 64-4-386-0574 rine and Freshwater Research. The lalandii group of Jasus (which includes all species of Jasus except J. verreauxi) is subdivided into the lalandii subgroup (J. edwardsii in Australasia and J. lalandii from southern Africa) and the frontalis sub- group (I. paulensis from the south Indian Ocean, J. frontalis in eastern South Pacific, and J. tris tani from the South Atlantic). The subdivision is based on the shape of the carapace spines, the shape of the transverse groove before the posterior margin of the carapace and particularly the level of "squamal" sculpturing on the dorsal abdomen (see George and Kensler 1970). The About 12,000 specimens of the new lasus were taken by a commercial Lobster NEWSLETTER vessel, from a seamount in the central South Pacific Ocean earlier this year. The species belongs to the frontalis subgroup and is most sitnilar to Editors: J. frontalis from Juan Fernandez and Desventuradas Island off Chile - but it is clearly quite different because it has almost John Booth no abdominal squamal MAF Fisheries, Greta Point sculpturing. P.O. Box 297, Wellington NEW ZEALAND The new species is the first to occur exclusively on a non-emergent sea- FAX: (4) 386 0574 mount; all other Jasus species occur both along the coasts of islands or [email protected] continents as well as on seamounts. The lobsters were taken from the top J. Stanley Cobb of the seamount at 140 m down to a depth of 180 m. Department of Zoology University of Rhode Island The duration of the phyllosoma larval stage of jasus spp, where it is Kingston RI 02881 USA known, is among the longest for any palinurid - around a year or more. FAX: (401) 792 4256 scobbeeuriacc.uriedu This gives opportunity for wide larval dispersal. The discovery of this species in an area between the waters occupied by J. edwardsii and by J. John Pringle frontalis means that reaching an understanding of Jasus larval recruitment Fisheries and Oceans processes in the South Pacific Ocean has become even more of a chal- PO Box 550 Halifax B3J 287 lenge. CANADA FAX: (902) 426 3479 LITERATURE CITED [email protected] George, R.W. and C.B. Kensler. 1970. N.Z. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 4: 292-311. The Lobster Newsletter is cospon- sored by Fisheries & Oceans, Canada and the Rhode Island Sea Grant Program. It is published John Booth Rick Webber twice yearly. NIWA Museum of New Zealand Te Papa P.O. Box 14-104 Tongarewa Kilbirnie P.O. Box 467 Please send change of address to Wellington Wellington John Pringle. New Zealand New Zealand

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 12 AMUSEMENTS

Lobsters enter Debate on Political Future of Canada

I From: H. Powles

Jacques Parizeau, Prime Minister of Québec, was reported to have told European ambassadors in a confiden- tial meeting that the people of Québec, once they had voted for sovereignty, would be like lobsters in a pot. Those in the know will recall the long-standing debate over whether Québec should separate from Canada- Québeckers will vote in a referendum on this late in 1995. Parizeau's statement was immediately denied and some theorized that releasing it was a federalist ploy to discredit the sovereigntist movement. Journalists, freed from the necessities of reporting real news by Canada's summer recess from politics, theorized as to whether he might have meant that the people of Québec would be like lobsters in a pot of boiling water or like lobsters caught in a trap (pot). Fully appreciating the howls of outrage from federalist (keep Canada one) and sovereigntist (free Québec from Canada) camps over "I'affaire homard" would require more background in recent Canadian constitutional politics than most reasonable people would want to cultivate. However, the event did inspire political cartoonists to let their imaginations roam on a lobster theme and some of the results are presented here.

Howard Powles Bio. Sciences Directorate 200 Kent Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A OE6

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 13 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 into areas of greater water move- ment, in order to facilitate rapid dispersal of larvae. This may also be the case here, however females are often caught in these areas with either early stage eggs or having already hatched their eggs. This suggests that another factor, such as foraging, may trigger these movements. Gut content analysis supports this conclusion, and has revealed that offshore females forage on a variety of items including hermit crabs, bivalves, and fish scraps. In addi- tion, large numbers of females readily enter baited traps set around the seaward boundary. Immature female and small male lobsters are commonly in the same trap with ovigerous females. While some overlap in the timing of offshore movement of large and small males does occur, there ap- pears to be considerable temporal separation between these groups. No males less than 130mm CL have been observed in male aggre- gations. We thus hypothesize that Lobsters replace the fleur-de-lis on the Quebec Flag males undergo an ontogenetic shift in habitat utilization. smow cc pr*001-Aft.e.,r" LeDroit w.l ®.e... In the coming year I plan to make greater use of the highly success- ful acoustic tag to track movement of individual lobsters. Acoustic tags revealed the offshore move- ment of males in winter, and have enabled divers to quickly relocate tagged individuals and their asso- ciated aggregations. It is hoped the acoustic tag will allow the temporal and spatial aspects of movement by various components of the lobster population to be fully described.

LITERATURE CITED

McKoy, J.L., and Leachman A. (1982) Aggregations of ovigerous female rock lobsters, fasus edwardsii (: Palinuridae); N.Z. Jol. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 16: 141-146. McKoy, J.L. and Esterman D.B. (1981) Growth of rock lobsters (Jasus edwardsii) in the Gisborne region, New Zealand; N.Z. Jol. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 15: 121- 136. "After a Yes, the people of Québec will be like lobsters" (Parizeau). The lobster's questions are word-plays which would take some time to explain--it is basically woundering about its fate.

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 14 M.R..VZ-EAl.) Et.) VACAUC.E.S E.b.) PROYEUCe....

M. Pariezeau was on holiday in Provence when his supposed remarks were reported - what if he was served a lobster?

ANNOUNCEMENTS

From: Paul MacNab Researchers, fishers and Parks Canada have been investigating the potential role of closed areas in the Newfoundland lobster fishery. Any reports, publications or infor- mation from similar projects would be greatly appreciated. Please contact: (address above)

Paul Macnab Terra Nova National Park Glovertown, Newfoundland AUG 2L0 E-mail: paul_macnabeepch.gc.ca "We're just shaking the lobster trap" (ie. rattling his cage)

The Lobster Newsletter - Volume 8, Number 2: December 1995 Page 15 ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Zealand 1997 Lobster Meeting Update

In the issue we enclose the first notice and preregistration form for the Fifth International Conference and Work- shop on Lobster Biology and Management to be held in Queenstown, New Zealand during 9-14 February 1997.

The notice asks for provisional titles for papers and also lists the topics for workshops where less formal pre- sentations and discussions will take place (see July 1995 Lobster Newsletter).

The preregistration form asks you to indicate the standard of accommodation you require. Please deal with this expeditiously - accommodation has to be booked at least 3 months before the meeting - by early November 1996.

You may have noticed new addresses and contact numbers. Nothing is ever easy - New Zealand's old "MAF Fisheries" no longer exists. We spiny lobster workers (Paul Breen, Alistair MacDiarmid, John Booth) are now employed by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA), a government-owned research organization. This has led to changes in postal and e-mail addresses and in phone numbers - al- though the old ones will work for some time yet. NIWA is now the coordinator of the 1997 Lobster Meeting. For further information, please contact:

The Organizing Committee Fifth International Conference and Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd. P.O. Box 14-901 Kilbirnie Wellington New Zealand Phone +64 4 386 0300 Fax +64 4 386 0574 E-mail [email protected] (until 31 Dec. 1995), then j.booth®niwa.cri.nz

December 1995 TÎ,ôbster NEWSLETTER P.O. Box 550 Halifax, NS B3J 2S7 Canada

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED