CULTURE OF PHYLLOSOMAS OF SPINY LOBSTER AND ITS APPLICATION TO STUDIES OF LARVAL RECRUITMENT AND AQUACULTURE

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.