Abstract

Spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, is an important fisheries species in Florida and the Caribbean region. The high value of this species and the limited extent of their wild fisheries make them an ideal candidate for commercial culture. One of the major constraints to spiny lobster culture is that the aquaculturist must rely on the steady supply of post larvae (pueruli) from the wild for nursery and growout. The focus of this research project was to advance the culture of spiny lobster through novel pueruli collection methods. Recruitment of 1000’s of spiny lobster pueruli to submerged fish sea cages in Puerto Rico was first observed by Snapperfarm, Inc. in spring of 2003. With funds from NOAA SBIR Phase I, studies were conducted from July 2003 to January 2004 to determine the feasibility of collecting spiny lobsters from sea cages for growout. Results showed that year-round collection of pueruli from submerged sea cages is feasible, with the highest collection occurring in the spring and near the new moon phase. Newly settled pueruli and pigmented post larvae were observed during each month of the study. Over 400 juvenile lobsters were collected from the submerged sea cages; 40 were placed in a growout study and the rest were relocated to a nearby marine reserve. The findings from this study indicate that collection of lobster pueruli and juveniles from sea cages for growout is technically feasible and has potential to be developed into a commercial venture.

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