Species profiles: Life histories and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (South Florida): Spiny lobster. [Panulirus argus]

Technical Report · Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:7058391

Marx, J M; Herrnkind, W F

The Florida spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) supports major commercial fisheries in south Florida and the Caribbean Sea. Its life history includes several life stages that live in the open ocean, inshore bays, and coastal reefs. The Florida population spawns along deeper offshore reefs in spring and early summer. Fate of locally spawned larvae is uncertain, but significant postlarval recruitment may originate from larvae spawned in foreign waters. After settlement in inshore vegetated habitats, juveniles reach legal harvestable size in about 2 years. The onset of maturity is coincident with a marked emigration offshore. Subsequent seasonal movements cued by reproductive activity and weather disturbances are pronounced. Excessive fishing has caused a decline in the size of the south Florida population and a corresponding reduction in total spawn. The relevance of spawn reduction is uncertain because of questions regarding larval origins and stock-recruitment relations. Water temperatures probably regulate population distribution and the seasonal dynamics of growth and reproduction. Postlarval recruitment is limited to high salinity inshore environments. Hydrodynamic stimuli and water circulation patterns play critical roles throughout the life cycle.

• Research Organization: Florida State Univ., Tallahassee (USA). Dept. of Biological Science
• OSTI ID: 7058391
• Report Number(s): TR-EL-82-4/82-11-61; ON: TI87900130
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
LOBSTERS
ECOLOGY
COASTAL WATERS
FISHING INDUSTRY
FLORIDA
HABITAT
POPULATION DYNAMICS
REPRODUCTION
TAXONOMY
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
BIOLOGY
CRUSTACEANS
DECAPODS
FEDERAL REGION IV
INDUSTRY
INVERTEBRATES
NORTH AMERICA
SURFACE WATERS
USA
520100* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (-1989)