J. Kittaka, CULTURE OF PHYLLOSOMAS OF SPINY LOBSTER AND ITS APPLICATION TO STUDIES OF LARVAL RECRUITMENT AND AQUACULTURE, Crustaceana, 66, 1994, pp. 258-270
Complete larval development of spiny lobsters in culture has been achi
eved for cool temperate species, Fasus lalandii (H. Milne Edwards, 183
7), Fasus novaehollandiae Holthuis, 1963, Fasus edwardsii (Hutton, 187
5), Fasus verreauxi (H. Milne Edwards, 1851) and Palinurus elephas (Fa
bricius, 1787), and a warm temperate species, Panulirus japonicus (Von
Siebold, 1824) since 1987. A good survival rate of about 10% was obta
ined for F. verreauxi. The factors important to the successful larval
culture were: (1) introduction of microalgae into the culture water, (
2) feeding with mussels and (3) supply of water from the bottom of the
culture tank to induce a continuous circular current in the tank. The
shortest duration of the phyllosoma stage for the above species, resp
ectively, was 306, 319, 212, 197, 132, and 307 days. The number of ins
tars was 17 for Fasus spp., 9 (estimated) for P. elephas and 25 (estim
ated) for P. japonicus. The shortest duration of the puerulus stage wa
s 19, 12, and 11 days for the above animals, respectively. Fasus verre
auxi may be suitable because of its potential for a high survival rate
. Palinurus elephas is also an interesting possibility because of its
short larval life. Duration of the larval stage seems to be species sp
ecific. Within a species, it is affected by water temperature and food
availability for the phyllosoma but exclusively by water temperature
for the puerulus.