The method developed over the past decade in northern Japan to culture
phyllosoma larvae of five species of principally cool-temperate spiny lobsters
combines the features of upwelling water, co- cultured microalgae, and use of
mussel gonad as food. The feeding behaviour of the phyllosomas shows that they
are primarily predators with the pereiopods and secondarily plankton feeders
with the maxillipeds and maxillae. Recent work has shown that contamination of
culture water by microorganisms such as the fouling protozoans
Vorticellaspp. can greatly reduce phyllosoma survival.
The significance of co-cultures of microalgae in maintaining water quality is
not yet fully understood. Newly hatched lavae of sailfin sandfish
(Arctoscopus japonicus) is an excellent food for
late-stage phyllosomas of Jasus verreauxi. About
5% of J. verreauxi phyllosomas metamorphosed into
pueruli. Mortality during the puerulus stage was reduced by increasing the
capacity of the culture tanks from 30 L to 100 L. A single
Palinurus elephas phyllosoma raised in co-culture with
diatoms and fed mussel gonad and A. japonicus larvae
metamorphosed into a puerulus in 65 days after seven moults.
Isotopic fractionation in wild and captive European spiny lobsters (Palinurus elephas)