Aspects of culture of spiny lobster Panulirus laevicauda · Aspects of culture of spiny lobster Panulirus laevicauda ... M.A. Aspects of culture of spiny lobster Panulirus ... do

Hossoda, A., Couto Junior, O. e Igarashi, M.A. Aspects of culture of spiny lobster Panulirus laevicauda. PUBVET, Londrina, V. 3, N. 20, Art#590, Jun2, 2009.

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Aspects of culture of spiny lobster Panulirus laevicauda

Alberto Hossoda1, Orlando Couto Junior2, Marco Antonio Igarashi3

1 Aluno da graduação da Universidade Santa Cecília

2 Professor da Universidade Santa Cecília

3 Professor da UFC a disposição da SEAP/PR

Abstract

Because of the importance of the spiny lobster Panulirus laevicauda, many

scientists have been studying the specie for many years. The current review

include studies of the spiny lobster P. laevicauda such as life cycle, ecological

conditions and fisheries management. The results showed that the spiny

lobster P. laevicauda is the basis of an important caught fishery in

Northeastern Brazil. Probably studying the spiny lobster in its natural

environment or habitat, fishermen can improve their catch of spiny lobster. In

conclusion fishermen know much of this information from fishing experience,

on the other hand probably they do not known the factors why spiny lobster

act in the habitat the way they do.


Key - words: spiny lobster, culture, fisheries, North-east Brazil

Aspectos do cultivo da lagosta Panulirus laevicauda

Resumo

Devido a importância da lagosta Panulirus laevicauda, muitos cientistas tem

estudado a espécie por muitos anos. A atual revisão inclui estudos da lagosta

P. laevicauda tal como o ciclo de vida, condições ecológicas e manejo na

pesca. Os resultados demonstram que essa lagosta é a base importante da

pesca no Nordeste do Brasil. Provavelmente estudando as lagostas em seu

ambiente natural ou habitat, o pescador poderá melhorar a captura de

lagostas. Concluindo os pescadores possuem várias informações obtidas na

experiência com a pesca, por outro lado provavelmente eles não conhecem os

fatores que fazem com que a lagosta atue no habitat da forma como

comportam.

Palavras - chave: lagostas, cultivo pesca, Nordeste do Brazil

Introduction

Spiny lobster, or rock lobster as they are also known, are among the

world´s most valuable and highly prized seafood (PHILLIPS & KITTAKA, 2000).

Spiny lobsters are crustaceans belonging to the Family Palinuridae, Decapoda

(BRUSCA, 1980).

Panulirus laevicauda is the common spiny lobster of the Northeastern

Brazil. This specie are found in the Atlantic Ocean from southern US to


southern Brazil (CHACE & DUMONT,1949). Spiny lobsters are found in banks of

calcareous algae ranging in depth from 20 to 50 m. as the stocks decreased

the fleet moved gradually to deeper areas (MARINHO-Jr, 1981).

Brazil is one of the principal producing countries of spiny lobsters P.

laevicauda. Spiny lobsters P. laevicauda are the basis for important

industries in Northeastern Brazil. Ceara State is one of the exporters of marine

products within the Brazil.

At present production from fisheries is part of the world wide

international market. The man can not deplete natural stocks. Culture of

spiny lobster can become viable at some future time.

Artisanal fishers, who hold 74 % of the boats in the fishery yet represent

less then 5% of the fishing effort, began fishing for lobsters in 1955 have been

at the forefront of the drive to save the once lucrative fishery (SCHÄRER,

2006).

Because spiny lobster are highly valuable resource around the world,

have been the subject of intense study and the men are interested in learning

more about these crustaceans.

At present little was known about spiny lobster P. laevicauda among the

exploited marine resource and is one of the most important seafood in the

market. However recently, the knowledge of the spiny lobsters have increased.

Specifically, some culture, biological and ecological information of spiny

lobster P. laevicauda in this review will be useful to researchers,

conservationists, students, fishery managers, biologist and other interested

entities.


Reproduction and phyllosomas

Females of P. laevicauda seem to attain sexual maturity at smaller sizes

than P. argus. Paiva and Costa (1963) report that reproducing females of this

species range from 15.9 to 28.1 cm in total length (MARINHO-Jr, 1981).

The sexes of spiny lobsters females can be distinguished by anatomical

characteristics. The genital orifice is at the base of the third pair of pereiopods

in the female but at the base of the fifth pair in the male.

The male of spiny lobster P. laevicauda deposits the spermatophoric

mass on the female's sternum. Fertilization takes place when the eggs are

extruded and mix with the sperm released from the sperm mass by scratching

it repeatedely with the chelae of her fifth pair of legs. The fertilized eggs then

attach to setae on the endopodite of the pleopods.

P. laevicauda females may mate more than once before laying the eggs.

During their breeding season mature females can carry 300000 eggs on

their tail swimmerest reported in P. laevicauda. The eggs are bright orange in

color. When the eggs hatch, tiny larvae (called phyllosoma) emerge to grow 12

months for some species in oceanic currents feeding on the other planktonic

animals. Phyllosoma 1arvae are extremely difficult to rear in captivity. High

mortalities are probably due to nutrient deficiencies and water quality

deterioration. Although we can be able to raise spiny lobster P. laevicauda for

some stages. It is estimated that it would take approximately 9 months for the

larvae to reach final stage in the laboratory for some species.


The major constraints in rearing spiny lobster P. laevicauda are its long

and complex larval period, the inadequate knowledge of its nutritional needs,

and the maintenance of high water quality standards.

During this time the growing larva sheds its shell several times (moults)

as it outgrows it. The phyllosoma larvae of the spiny lobster are flat,

transparent animals, greatly modified for a planktonic existence. Based on

plankton samples, 11 stages were described for some species. However molt

frequency and intervals for phyllosoma were not yet known for P. laevicauda

because of the lack of success of complete larval development in laboratory.

Puerulus

The final stage phyllosomas metamorphose into puerulus stage, which is

the transitional stage from the pelagic phyllosoma to the benthic juvenile

(KITTAKA, 2000).

The puerulus is still transparent but structurally similar to the adult. The

puerulus stage lasts about 3 weeks for some species. The postlarva or

puerulus swim actively towards the coast.

Once settled on the bottom. They molt in some days and become benthic

juveniles. Spiny lobsters have been successfully cultured from pueruli throuqh

the juvenile stages in water temperatures between 24 ºC and 30ºC. These

qrowth rates, under controlled conditions, were some times greater than those

estimated for pueruli in Northeastern Brazilian coastal waters. Apparently the

higher water temperatures in the experiment increased molting rates.


Aquaculture of lobsters under controlled water temperatures may be

feasible if enough pueruli or post puerulus stages could be located and

removed without seriously reducing the abundance of natural populations. It

may be possible to culture pueruli to legal size in about 2 years at 28 ºC.

Juveniles and adults

Spiny lobster P. laevicauda (Figure 1) is distributed in the inner shelf, in

the northern and southern grounds, where the calcareous algae substrate

occurs far off the coast. P. laevicauda is not overwhelmingly dominant.

Figure 1. Spiny lobster P. laevicauda

Juvenile spiny lobster in nature prey on a variety of bottom

invertebrates. In this context spiny lobster may exhibit preferences, such as a

dietary preference of mollusks. Although spiny lobster accept a wide range of

food, such as clams, mussels, snails and marine worms. After 2 to 3 years in

shallow water, the spiny lobster reaches adult size and migrates to the

offshore reefs for spawning (MOE, 1991). Migration of spiny lobster in the

northeast of Brazil is either for feeding or reproduction purposes.


Several investigators have cultured spiny lobster from pueruli to

commercial size under laboratory conditions. Culture in the laboratory of spiny

lobster P. laevicauda from the early juvenile stage to approximately 1 year and

6 months of age is described (IGARASHI, 2000). This is the first successful

culture of the spiny lobster P. laevicauda from early juvenile to marketable size

(11 cm tail length) in Brazil. Specimen was held in aquarium at temperature of

approximately 27°C. Juvenil was fed to excess on Artemia nauplii, gastropode

or crustaceans. In approximately 1 year and 6 months there were 14 moults

and the frequency of moults decreases with age.

For the species P. laevicauda, the author conclude that there is no sexual

differentiation in growth (MARINHO Jr., 1981).

The spiny lobster has a number of predators, mainly octopuses, sharks,

and moray eels.

Despite some successes which have been reported with the culture of

juvenile and adult lobster P. laevicauda, basic research is needed before

routine larval rearing can be mastered and the technology developed can be

transferred to commercial scale.

A successful program of spiny lobster culture could have social impacts,

resulting in a number of fishermen with jobs. Any attempt to develop lobster

culture in the area should be based on private funds and public funds. In

addition would be more wisely spent on programs for the production of less

expensive food items.


Food

Feeding and growth rate are likely to be affected by food supply.

Chittleborough (1975), found that decreased food supply reduces the

frequency of molting and depresses the growth increment per molt in juveniles

of the western rock lobster P. longipedes. Mollusk Tegula sp. and Perna perna

and crustacean Clibanarius sp. could serve as nutricional standards for

juveniles spiny lobsters P. laevicauda.

Moulting

A important process throughout the life cycle is moulting process. The

spiny lobster increasing at moults. Frequency of moulting decreases with age.

After spiny lobster molts it is soft and vulnerable to the attacks of its enemies.

Spiny lobsters abstain from feeding for some days, moves little, and seeks a

place to hide. In addition frequency of moulting is influenced by temperature,

food and stage. Moulting of lobsters can occur in all months, but individuals in

adult phase moult twice a year, with highest intensities in January and July-

August (FONTELES-FILHO, 2000).

Fisheries management

Over the last 20 years, catches from the Ceara State lobster fishery have

declined from over 9,000 tonnes to less than 6,000 tonnes. Poor management,


government subsidies, and irresponsible fishing practices are some of the main

reasons cited for this decline (SCHÄRER, 2006).

In particular, a peculiarity of the Brazilian fishery is the tailing of lobster

at sea so that only the tail is returned for processing at the plants on shore,

hindering the adaptation of the boats for bringing in live individuals and

causing the loss of commercial value by Brazilian lobster tails in the US

market, where they reach an average ex-warehouse price of US $ 11.00/kg

(FONTELES-FILHO, 2000).

Brazil, it was noted, fails to protect egg bearing females, and the lack of

control over the fleet and the use of gears (compressor, diving and gillnets)

will quickly lead to the collapse of the fishery (SCHÄRER, 2006). According to

the fishermen some fishing grounds, where they use to catch large volumes of

lobsters now show depletion.

Then to bring the spiny lobster capture to the sustainable level it is

necessary to employ a police which will have as its principal objective to

reduce the fishery effort, though number of boat reduction, and a rigid control

of either the number of traps or meters of fishing net per boat (IVO &

PEREIRA, 1996).

Conclusion and recommendations

P. laevicauda is common in the capture of spiny lobster in Brazil. Because

of its high price and high demand, the spiny lobster P. laevicauda is a 1ikely

candidate for mariculture; but judging by the present knowledge of this

species, prospects are not poor. They are used for food or marketed due to


their high economic value. At present the long larval period probably may not

make this species a candidate for commercial aquaculture. If large numbers

can be cultured easily and economically viable, a market for this specie is not a

problem. Therefore studies on formulated feeds, life cycle and culture systems

are important. In the future, improvement in the culture techniques for spiny

lobster can become a big business. At present, the vast majority of the spiny

lobsters consumed by man will be fishery products.

It is necessary more information on life cycle ( phyllosoma, juvenile

and adult) , seawater currents, temperature, salinity, ecological, among others

to adopte conservation measure. The food requirements for some larvae

stages are not known, the growth rate is slow, and large-scale collections of

pueruli for mariculture and restocking are not likely to be made.

For the conservation measure of the spiny lobster P. laevicauda

resources is essential conserving its natural habitat, management policies and

controlling the capture of the natural stock.

References

BRUSCA, R. C. Common intertidal invertebrated of the gulf of California. 2 nd ed., Univ. of

Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, 1980, 513 p.

CHACE, F.A.; DUMONT, W. N. Spiny lobsters - identification, world distribution, and U.S. trade.

Commercial Fisheries Review 11(15):1-12, 1949.

CHITTLEBOROUGH, R.G.Environmental factors affecting growth and survival of juvenile

western rock lobsters Panulirus longipes (Milne-Edwards). Australian Journal of Mar. &

Freshwater Res., 26(2):178-196, 1975.

FONTELES-FILHO, A. A. State of the lobster fishery in North-east Brazil. In: PHILLIPS,B. F.; J.

KITTAKA, J. (Ed) Spiny lobster: Fisheries and Culture. Blackwell Scietific publications Fishing

News Books, London, 2000, p. 121-134.


IGARASHI, M. A. Nota técnica sobre o desenvolvimento de juvenil recente de lagosta

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PAIVA,M. P.; COSTA,R.S. Tamanhos de femeas de lagosta em reproducao nas aquas costeiras

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Aspects of culture of spiny lobster Panulirus laevicauda · Aspects of culture of spiny lobster Panulirus laevicauda ... M.A. Aspects of culture of spiny lobster Panulirus ... do