Hawaii FEP - Western Pacific Fishery Council

Pitcher also observed that, in the southwestern Pacific, spiny lobsters are typically found inassociation with coral reefs. Coral reefs provide shelter as well as a diverse and abundant supplyof food items, he noted. Pitcher also stated that in this region, P. penicillatus inhabits the rockyshelters in the windward surf zones of oceanic reefs, an observation also noted by Kanciruk(1980). Other species of Panulirus show more general patterns of habitat utilization with. P.penicillatus moving onto reef flat to forage at night.Spiny lobsters are non-clawed decapod crustaceans with slender walking legs of roughly equalsize. Spiny lobster have a large spiny carapace with two horns and antennae projecting forwardof their eyes and a large abdomen terminating in a flexible tail fan (Uchida et al.1980). Uchidaand Uchiyama (1986) provided a detailed description of the morphology of slipper lobsters (S.squammosus and S. haanii) and noted that the two species are very similar in appearance and areeasily confused (Uchida and Uchiyama 1986). The appearance of the slipper lobster is notablydifferent than that of the spiny lobster.Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.) are dioecious (i.e., male reproductive organs are in one individualand female in another)(Uchida and Uchiyama 1986). Generally, the different species of thegenus Panulirus have the same reproductive behavior and life cycle (Pitcher 1993). The malespiny lobster deposits a spermatophore or sperm packet on the female’s abdomen (WPRFMC1983). In Panulirus spp., the fertilization of the eggs occurs externally (Uchida et al. 1980). Thefemale lobster scratches and breaks the mass, releasing the spermatozoa (WPRFMC 1983).Simultaneously, ova are released from the female’s oviduct and are then fertilized and attach tothe setae of the female’s pleopods (WPRFMC 1983). At this point, the female lobster isovigerous, or “berried” (WPRFMC 1983). The fertilized eggs hatch into “leaf-like” larvae (orphyllosoma) larvae after 30–40 days (MacDonald 1986; Uchida and Uchiyama 1986). Spinylobsters are very fecund (WPRFMC 1983). The release of the phyllosoma larvae appears to betimed to coincide with the full moon, and in some species at dawn (Pitcher 1993). In Scyllaridesspp. fertilization is internal (Uchida and Uchiyama 1986).Very little is known about the planktonic phase of the phyllosoma larvae of Panulirusmarginatus (Uchida et al. 1980). After hatching, the phyllosoma enter a planktonic phase(WPRFMC 1983). The duration of this planktonic phase varies depending on the species andgeographic region (WPRFMC 1983). The planktonic larval stage may last from 6 months to 1year from the time of the hatching of the eggs (WPRFMC 1983, MacDonald 1986).Johnson (1968) suggested that fine-scale oceanographic features, such as eddies and currents,serve to retain lobster larvae within island areas. In the NWHI, for example, lobster’s larvaesettlement appears to be linked to the north and southward shifts of the North Pacific CentralWater type (MacDonald 1986). The relatively long pelagic larval phase for palinurids results invery wide dispersal of spiny lobster larvae; palinurid larvae are transported up to 2,000 miles byprevailing ocean currents (MacDonald 1986).Reef Slope, Bank, and Seamount Associated SpeciesBottomfish65