DISCOVERY OF PUERULI OF PANULIRUS-JAPONICUS (VOL SIEBOLD, 1824) ON THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC COAST OF JAPAN

A puerulus and five postpueruli of Panulirus japonicus were captured o n the Sanriku coast in northeast Japan, from Okkirai Bay in the north to Sendai Bay in the south, in December 1991 and january 1992. Branche s of the Kuroshio Current of 20-degrees-C or more, approached the Sanr iku coast in early October and in early November, 1991. Cultured larva e showed that the duration of the puerulus stage was 15.3 days at 24-2 5-degrees-C. Puerulus swimming duration was estimated to be about seve n days. These findings suggest late-stage phyllosomas are transported by the Kuroshio Current towards the coast.