Volume 76
Availability of post-larvae for grow-out aquaculture of the Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus, in Florida, United States
Authors
Matthews, T.R., J. Butler, and E. Hutchinson Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2023
Event: Proceedings of the Seventy-Sixth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Nassau
Country: The Bahamas
Abstract
Aquaculture of tropical lobsters from the collection of naturally settling post-larvae, also known as pueruli, is well established for several species of spiny lobster (Phillips and Matsuda, 2011). There is considerable interest in commercial scale grow-out of the Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus, and the availability of pueruli was demonstrated for many locations throughout the species range (Butler et al., 2009). However, there has been little consideration of the effect of the removal of pueruli on lobster fisheries or the ecosystem. Herein, we measure the catch rate of pueruli using a frayed-rope modification to Witham style collectors relative to pueruli abundance in the Florida Keys.