@article {Cruz:2006:0011-216X:1071,
author = "Cruz, Raul and Lalana, Rogelio and Perera, Erick and Baez-Hidalgo, Marysabel and Adriano, Roberto",
title = "Large scale assessment of recruitment for the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, aquaculture industry",
journal = "Crustaceana",
volume = "79",
number = "9",
year = "2006",
abstract = "Investigations to study the long and complex larval cycle of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus in artificial shelters, on the barrier reef and in sea grass meadows, became efficient programs for catching large numbers of pueruli and juveniles at some locations of the Cuban archipelago. These data support a study to obtain a better understanding of the recruitment variability, of the mortality rates during the juvenile phase, and to evaluate the potential alternative for growout of pueruli and juveniles to marketable sizes. The intensity of larval recruitment is much higher in the area close to the edge of the shelf (32.2 pueruli/collector) and diminishes toward the shallow coastal waters (1.2 pueruli/collector). The total cost to collect 1,116 pueruli was around US$ 1656 (US$1.50/puerulus), and 400 juveniles require around US$ 1697 (US$ 4.14/juvenile) in five days. In the seaweed collectors, there is an absence of predators and diseases, a good level of food (a high variety of invertebrates, fish eggs and fish larvae, Foraminifera, and filamentous algae), and a gregarious behaviour in a structurally complex tassel may increase individual growth rates. The natural mortality rate in the juvenile nursery area has been estimated at 0.42 year−1, so that 58% was estimated to survive and be recruited to the fishery. The results of our studies indicate that juvenile removals from the wild have a negative impact on pre-recruits and subsequent catches. Improvement of the techniques to collect pueruli is needed to catch a large number of these, because the current objective of the program in Cuba is to measure puerulus recruitment and to predict catches. Any strategy of commercial investment for the growout of pueruli and post-pueruli to marketable sizes requires accurate seasonal catch-and-effort data, and knowledge of the population parameters, all needed to assist in preventing overfishing.",
pages = "1071-1096",
url = "http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/brill/cr/2006/00000079/00000009/art00005",
doi = "doi:10.1163/156854006778859623"
}