REFERENCECOPY 

Do Not Remove from the Librar~ 

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Servic~ - - L I 

I nus tieseo rch (.en )kv- T~ EL.82.4 

Biological Report 82 ( *") 'U~~~aDone eculF> rr rd 

April 1986 

Lafayette, Louisiana 71'5?5 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and 

Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes 

and Invertebrates (Pacific Southwest) 

SPINY LOBSTER 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Coastal Ecology Group 

Waterways Experiment Station 

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
Bioloqical Report 82(11.47 1 

TR EL-82-4 

April 1986 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements 

of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Pacific Southwest 1 

SPINY LOBSTER 

William N. Shaw 

Humbol dt State University 

Fred Tel onicher Marine Laboratory 

Trinidad, CA 95570 

Project Manager 

Carroll Cordes 

Project Officers 

John Parsons and David Moran 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Slidell, LA 70458 

Performed For 

Coastal Ecol oqy Group 

Waterways Experiment Station 

U. S. Army Corps of Enqineers 

Vicksburq, MS 39180 

and 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

Division of Bioloqical Services 

Research 3nd Development 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

U. S. Department of the Interior 

Washington, DC 20240 
This series should be referenced as follows: 

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983-19-. Species profiles: life histories 

and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates. U. S. Fish 

Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. 82(11). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 

This profile should be cited as follows: 

Shaw, W. N. 1986. Species profiles: 1 ife histories and environmental 

requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Pacific Southwest)--spiny 

lobster. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. 82(11.47). U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 10 pp. 
PREFACE 

This species profile is one of a series on coastal aquatic organisms, 

principally fish, of sport, commercial, or ecological importance. The profiles 

are designed to provide coastal managers, engineers, and biologists with a brief 

comprehensive sketch of the biological characteristics and environmental 

requirements of the species and to describe how populations of the species may be 

expected to react to environmental changes caused by coastal development. Each 

profile has sections on taxonomy, 1 ife history, ecological role, environmental 

requirements, and economic importance, if appl icabl e. A three-ring binder is 

used for this series so that new profiles can be added as they are prepared. 

This project is jointly planned and financed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Suggestions or questions regarding this report should be directed to one of 

the foll owing addresses. 

Information Transfer Specialist 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

NASA-Slidell Computer Complex 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Slidell, LA 70458 

U. S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station 

Attention: WESER-C 

Post Office Box 631 

Vicksburg, MS 39180 
CONVERSION TABLE 

Metric to U .S . Customary 

mil 1 imeters (mi) 

centimeters (an) 

meters (m) 

ki 1 meters ( km) 

2 

square meters (m ) 10.76 

square ki 1 meters (Ian2) 0.3861 

hectares (ha) 2.471 

liters (1) 

cubic meters (m3) 

cubic meters 

To Obtain 

inches 

inches 

feet 

mil es 

square feet 

square miles 

acres 

gal 1 ons 

cubic feet 

acre-feet 

mill igrams (mg) 0.00003527 ounces 

grams (g) 0.03527 ounces 

kilograms (k ) 2.205 pounds 

metric tons 7t) 2205.0 pounds 

metric tons 1.102 short tons 

ki 1 ocal ori es ( kcal ) 3.968 British thermal units 

Cel sius degrees 1.8("C) + 32 Fahrenheit degrees 

U.S. Customary to Metric 

inches 25.40 

inches 2.54 

feet (ft) 0.3048 

fa thoms 1.829 

miles (mi) 1.609 

nautical miles (mi) 1.852 

square feet (ft2) 

acres 2 

square miles (mi ) 

gal 1 ons (gal ) 

cubic feet (ft3) 

acre-feet 

ounces (oz) 25.35 

pounds (lb) 0.4536 

short tons (ton) 0.9072 

British thermal uni ts (Btu) 0.2520 

mil 1 imeters 

centimeters 

meters 

meters 

kilometers 

ki 1 ometers 

square meters 

hectares 

square ki 1 ometers 

1 i ters 

cubic meters 

cubic meters 

grams 

ki 1 og rams 

metric tons 

ki 1 ocal ori es 

Fahrenheit degrees 0.5556("F - 32) Celsius degrees 
CONTENTS 

Paqe 

PREFACE ..................................................................... i i i 

CONVERSION TABLE ............................................................ iv 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................. vi 

NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE ................................................. 1 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS ............................................... 1 

REASON FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES .............................................. 2 

LIFE HISTORY ................................................................ 3 

Spawning .................................................................. 3 

Larval Stage .............................................................. 3 

Postlarvae and Juveniles .................................................. 4 

Maturity and Life-Span .................................................... 4 

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS ...................................................... 5 

COMMERCIAL AND SPORT FISHERIES .............................................. 5 

Commercial Fisheries ...................................................... 5 

Sport Fisheries ........................................................... 7 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE ............................................................. 7 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS .................................................. 8 

LITERATLIRE CITED ............................................................ 9 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

For helpful suggestions in the preparation of this manuscript, I thank Emil 

Smith, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, and Richard F. Ford, 

San Diego State University. Thomas Hassler (California Cooperative Fishery 

Research Unit) kindly acted as the liaison with the National Coastal Ecosystem 

Team and greatly facilitated the completion of this report. 
Figure 1. Spiny lobster. 

SPINY LOBSTER 

Scientific name ............. Panulirus 

interruptus (Randal 1 ) 

Preferred common name. .. Spiny lobster 

(Figure 1) 

Other common names.. ... .Rock lobster, 

red lobster 

Class ..................... Malacostraca 

Order ......................... Decapoda 

Family ...................... Palinurida 

Gulf of Cal ifornia (Duffy 1973). 

This lobster is most abundant in the 

coastal waters of central Baja 

Cal ifornia (Lindberg 1955; Johnson 

1960). The southern range of the 

spiny lobster overlaps the northern 

range of the pinto lobster, - P. 

inf latus (Wi 1 son 1947). 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS 

Geographic range: Coastal waters of The peduncle of the antennules 

the Pacific Southwest, from Monterey is slightly longer than that of the 

Bay, California, to Magdalena Bay on antennae; first segment about as long 

the west side of South Baja as the next two; flagella longer than 

California, Mexico (Figure 2). A the peduncle, the outer setose on one 

relatively isolated population side except near the base. Peduncle 

inhabits the northern waters of the of the antennae armed with short, 
EL NORTE 

AND 

EUREKA 

REGIOFJ 

SAN FRANCISCO 

REGION 

- -- - - - - 

T MONTEREY 

REGION 

z 

0 SANTA BARBARA 

I- X 3 REGION 

LL 

IV) - i x LOS ANGELES REGION 

X SbW DlEGO REGION 

Figure 2. Distribution of the spiny lobster along the 

California coast. Map taken from Bureau of Marine Fisheries 

( 1949). 

stout spines, flagel la spinulous, 

compressed at the base, and exceeding 

the body in length. Abdominal 

segments furnished with a pair of 

transverse dorsal setose sulci , which 

do not meet at the midline except 

indistinctly on the sixth segment. 

Carapace lengths to 60.9 cm (Schmitt 

1921). 

Color in life: Walking leg 

vi tt~te a1 ternately red and 

01 i vaceous. Color widely varied, 

ranging from almost black through 

shades of dark mahogany and reddish 

purple to light red. Larval stages, 

or phyllosomas (Figure 31, are 

characterized by their transparent 

dorsoventral ly flattened bodies and 

long fragile legs (Johnson 1956). 

REASON FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES 

The spiny lobster along the 

southern California coast supports a 

val uable commercial and sport fishery. 

In the early 19701s, lobster abundance 

decl ined sharply--as the fishery 

increased, local stocks declined and 

the fishery spread to more distant 

grounds (Odemar et al. 1975). In 

addition to heavy fishing pressure, 

the loss of lobster habitat from 

coastal development and severe fishing 

restrictions have lowered commercial 

production. Inasmuch as 1 obsters 1 i ve 

in rocky coastal waters, any change in 
Figure 3. Staqe I (A) of Panulirus interruptus phyllosoma hatched in an 

aquarium: al, first antenna; a2, second antenna; cs, coxal spine; en, endopod; 

ex, exopod; mxp, third maxilliped; pl, p2, p3, first, second, and third leqs. 

Stage XI (8) of Panulirus interruptus phyl losoma (from Johnson 1956). 

the environment by humans would eqqs is completed in 9 to 10 weeks. 

probably reduce lobster abundance. The eqqs, coral red when first 

released, chanae to deep maroon before 

LIFE HISTORY hatchinq. 

Spawninq Larval Staqe 

The spiny lobster spawns from 

March to August, but primarily from 

May through July (Allen 1916). Matina 

takes place in water 50 to 100 ft 

deep, from December throuqh March. 

The male deposits a tar-like 

spermatophore on the sternum of the 

female. The female then moves inshore 

(to water less than 30 ft deep) and 

extrudes 50,000 to 800,000 eqqs. They 

3re fertil i zed by sperm released from 

the spermatophore and become attached 

to her pleopods. Development of the 

The larvae pass throuqh 11 

pelaqic phyl losoma staaes (Johnson 

1956). The body of the larva is 

hiqhl y transparent and dorsoventrall y 

compressed. Accordina to Johnson 

(19561, the body lenqth of the larva 

is about 1.4 m at Staqe I (Fiqure 3A) 

and about 29 mm at Staqe XI (Fiqure 

38). Less than 3% of the larvae live 

to reach Staqe XI (Johnson 1956). In 

southern Cal ifornia, especial ly in the 

Channel Is1 ands area, seasonal 

development of countercurrents, qyres, 
and eddies may be essential for 

successful inshore recruitment because 

they offset the southward and seaward 

drift caused by the California Current 

(Johnson 1960). 

Phyl losome 1 arvae are extremely 

difficult to rear in captivity. High mortalities are probably due to 

nutrient deficiencies (Dexter 1972). 

Although Dexter (1972) was able to 

raise lobster only to Stage VI, he 

estimated that it would take 5 months 

for the larvae to reach Staqe XI in 

the laboratory. In the open sea it 

takes 7 to 9 months for the larvae to 

reach Staqe XI (Johnson 1956). 

Post1 arvae and Juveni les 

At Stage XI the phyllosomas 

metamorphose to the puerulus stage. 

The animal is still transparent but 

structurally similar to the adult, 

except that the second antennae are 

three times the body length (Johnson 

1956). The puerulus stage lasts about 

2.5 months. The pueruli exhibit a 

strong positive phototactic response 

and can be lured to a bright underwater liqht at night (Serfl ing and 

Ford 1975a). Puerul i are commonly 

found in floating habitats consisting 

largely of surf grass, Phyl lospadix 

torreyi. The influx and settlement to 

the bottom of pueruli larvae in 

inshore waters are continuous from May 

throuqh September. Little is known 

about their food habits (Frey 1971). 

Once settled on the bottom, the 

pueruli become fully pigmented in 6 to 

8 days. They molt in 9 to 11 days and 

become benthic juveniles. 

Spiny lobsters have been 

successfully cultured from puerul i 

throuqh the juvenile stages in water 

temperatures of 22 and 28 OC (Serf 1 i ng 

and Ford 1975b). The average monthly 

increase in carapace length was 3.3 mn 

at 22 OC and 4.5 n at 28 OC. (All 

lenqths refer to carapace lenqths 

unless otherwise indicated. ) These 

qrowth rates, under control 1 ed 

conditions, were about two to three 

times qreater than those estimated for 

pueruli in southern California coastal 

waters. Apparently the higher water 

temperatures in the experiment 

increased molting rates. 

Aquaculture of lobsters under 

c o n t r o l l e d water temperatures may be 

feasible if enough pueruli or postpuerul us stages could be located and 

removed without seriously reducing the 

abundance of natural populations. It 

may be possible to culture pueruli (7 

mm carapace length, CL) to legal size 

(83 mm) in about 2 years at 28 OC, and 

3 years at 22 OC (Serfl ing and Ford 

1975b). In contrast, it takes 7 years 

for lobsters to reach legal size in 

southern California coastal waters. 

Because of the relative scarcity of 

puerul i in these waters, however, 

attempts to capture adequate numbers 

for culture would not be practical 

(Serfling and Ford 1975a). 

Maturity and Life Span 

About 50% of the females 66 mm ' 

long and about 90% of those 69 mn long 

or longer are sexually mature. The 

smallest berried female was 63 mn long 

and was 6 years old. Age at sexual 

maturity usually is 3 to 6 years for 

males and 5 to 9 years for females. 

The sexes of spiny lobsters and 

the maturity of females can be 

distinguished by anatomical 

characteristics. The genital orif ice 

is at the base of the third pair of 

pereiopods in the female but at the 

base of the fifth pair in the male. 

Mature femal es are recognized by the 

small chela at the extreme end of the 

fifth pereiopod and by enlarged 

pleopods with rod-1 ike endopodites 

bearing filaments for the attachment 

of eggs (Lindberg 1955). 

The 1 ife span of mature spiny 

lobsters is difficult to determine 

because all hard body parts are shed 

p e r i o d i c a l l y . 
GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS 

Although the aqe and qrowth of 

adults has not been accurately 

determined, it is known that the 

carapace lenqth of juveniles increases 

about 3.1 mn after each molt. 

Juveniles reach 24 mn after 1 year and 

44 mn after 2 years. Leqal-size 

animals (83 mn lonq) molt once a year 

(Backus 1960). 

After settlinq to the bottom, 

males qrowinq at averaqe rates reach 

the minimum leqal lenqth after 7 to 10 

years and females after 12 years. 

In one study (Odemar et al. 

19751, annual qrowth increments ranqed 

from 4.8 to 1.3 mn for females 50 to 

about 104 mm lonq, and from 5.6 to 1.5 

rrm for males 50 to 112.5 mn long. 

These measurements indicate that males 

grow faster than females (Odemar et 

al. 1975). 

In another study (Mitchell et 

al. 19691, however, the lenath of 

males increased from 51 to 88 mn in 10 

molts, an annual increment of 3.7 mn, 

whereas females increased from 56 to 

91 mn in eiqht molts, an annual 

increment of 4.4 mn. These data 

indicate that females qrew faster than 

males. 

The differences in qrowth 

between the two sexes as determined in 

the two studies (Mitchell et al. 1969; 

Odemar et al. 1975) could have been 

caused by sampling bias or maybe by 

real differences. 

COMMERCIAL AND SPORT FISHERIES 

Commercial Fisheries 

Most spiny lobsters landed in 

the United States (a different 

species, P. P ar us) come from Florida 

waters. In 982, total U.S. landinqs 

of spiny lobsters was 6.4 million 

pounds valued at $16.2 mill ion. 

Florida's catch was 5.8 million 

pounds, or 91% of the total; these 

landinqs were worth $14.1 million, or 

87% of the total (Thompson 1983). 

Althouqh California's landinqs 

are relatively small, the spiny 

lobster is an important commercial 

species in southern Cal ifornia. 

A record of the commercial 

landinqs in California from 1916 to 

1982 (Table 1) shows that the annual 

catch was relatively stable from 1916 

to 1945 (Bureau of Marine Fisheries 

1949), averaqinq sliqhtly over 300,000 

pounds. From 1946 to 1956, the 

averaqe annual catch was 775,000 

Ib. After 1956 the catch declined 

to a low of 190,000 lb in 1974. 

The decline was attributed to three 

factors (Odemar et al. 1975): (1) 

illeqal takinq of undersized lobsters; 

(2) increase in the sport catch; and 

(3) loss of habitat due to 

environmental change, largely caused 

by urban coastal development. 

The commercial catch of spiny 

lobsters was 560.966 pounds in 1978 

and annual catches from 1979 to 1982 

exceeded 300,000 1 b. The estimated 

1982 catch was 600,000 1b valued at 

$2.1 million. The reasons for the 

sudden increase in annual catch are 

unclear. 

The Cal iforni a commerci a1 

fishinq qrounds for spiny lobsters 

extend from Point Argue110 in southern 

California, south through the Channel 

Islands to the Mexican border (Figure 

2). Fishing is at depths of 2 to 55 

m, or wherever rocky bottoms or kelp 

beds are abundant. According to 

Odemar et al. (1975), along the 

Ca1 ifornia coast there are about 

81,000 acres of lobster habitat, 90% 

of which is fished cammercially. 

Lobsters are cauqht in 

rectanqular, box-1 i ke traps covered 

with 11-qaqe wire mesh. Each trap is 

buoyed (with permit number) for 

retrieval. The traps are lifted every 

24 to 48 h along the mainland coast, 

and every 48 to 96 h around the 
Table 1. Yearly landinqs (1b) of 

spiny lobster in California, 1916-82 

(Duffy 1973; Odemar et a1 . 1975; 

Thompson 1983). 

Year 1b Year 1b 

islands. Fishing is conducted mostly 

from skiffs 6 m long or less, although 

a few of the boats (9%) are longer 

than 9 m (Odemar et a1 . 1975). 

Lobster traps must have an 

escape port 51 mm in diameter that 

allows small lobsters to escape. The 

catch ratio of illegal and legal sized 

1 obsters in 1973-74, before the 

introduction of the escape port, was 

5.4:l. For 1976-77, when the escape 

port was mandatory, the ratio dropped 

to 0.8: 1 (Odemar et al. 1975). 

In California, up to 19,000 

traps are fished annually but less 

than 5,000 are used at any one time. 

Most fishermen set about 100 traps, 

althouqh a few set as many as 500 

traps (Odemar et a1 . 1975). 

The lobster business is partly 

dependent on the avai 1 abi 1 i ty of bait 

for the traps. In recent years, over 

300 tons of bait have been used per 

season. Small fish or the heads and 

frames of bonito and anchovy are used 

for bait. Black abalone are used as 

bait in the Channel Islands. 

The fishinq season begins on the 

first Wednesday in October and extends 

throuqh the first Wednesday after 

March 15. Fishinq intensity and catch 

are hiqhest in the early part of the 

season. About 36% of the lobsters are 

cauqht in October alone, compared with 

only 6% in March. The major lobster 

boat landinqs are between Encini tas 

and San Dieqo and amonq the San 

Clemente Islands. About 60% of the 

annual catch in the 1973-74 season was 

landed in these areas (Odemar et al., 

1975). 

After capture, live lobsters are 

held in "live" boxes and anchored in 

kelp beds until a load is obtained. 

The catch is sold mainly to wholesale 

dealers, who also supply the bait 

(Odemar et a1 . 1975). 

Lobster fishermen sell about 81% 

of their catch to wholesalers, 9% to 

restaurants, and 7% to private 

parties; 3% are retained for their own 

use. Lobsters are marketed alive or 

frozen. They can be safely shipped 

a1 ive in crates for as long as 24 h 

after packing (Odemar et al. 1975). 

Commercial fishing for lobsters 

has its ~roblems. In some areas, 
particularly the San Clemente Islands, 

predation by the California sheepshead 

(Senicossyphus pulcher) is severe, and 

frequent servicing of traps (pots) is 

necessary to reduce loss (Odemar et 

al. 1975). Traps are robbed by 

boaters, surfers, and other fishermen. 

The large-scale catch and sale of 

undersize lobsters have been a major 

factor in the decline of lobster 

abundance for many years. Although a 

2-inch escape port is required in the 

pots, many undersized lobsters are 

still cauqht and kept. Nevertheless, 

it has been recommended that the port 

be increased to 1-7/8 inches x 3-7/8 

inches (Odemar et al. 1975). Because 

pots often are lost at sea, many 

trapped lobsters are lost. Traps 

should have an area that selfdestructs so that lobsters can 

eventually escape from lost pots. 

Sport Fisheries 

Sportsmen often seek spiny 

lobsters and sometimes take larqe 

numbers of them. Althouqh there are 

few data on the sport catch, it may 

equal half of the commercial catch 

(Frey 1971 1. 

Most lobsters are taken by skin 

divers and scuba divers, althouqh some 

sportsmen use hoop nets. Many 

fishermen catch "shorts1' (undersized 

lobsters) and cook and eat them before 

returning to the mainland. 

Many people fish off party boats 

and the number of diver days from 

these boats has been increasing. 

There were 275 diver days (one person 

fishing for 5 h) in the 1958-59 

lobster season but 15,871 in the 

1973-74 season (Odemar et al. 1975). 

There is a clear need for better 

statistics on the annual sport catch. 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE 

The feedinq habits of spiny 

lobsters chanqe as they grow and 

mature. As larvae they feed on 

pl ankton, a1 thouqh the taxonomic 

qroups in their diet are unknown. In 

the laboratory, lobster larvae can be 

raised up to the sixth phyllosome 

usinq Artemia nauplii for food. 

Successful rearinq of spiny lobsters 

throuqh all larval staqes will be 

possible only after suitable foods are 

found (Dexter 1972). 

For juvenile spiny lobsters, the 

most common foods are mollusks, alqae, 

sponqes, hydroids, pol ychaetes, 

crustaceans, and sea urchins. In the 

laboratory, juveniles were successfully maintained to the puerulus stage 

on diced trimmings of abalone 

(Serf 1 i ng and Ford 1975b). When 

available, squid, fish flesh, juvenile 

crabs, and limpets were also used for 

food in the laboratory. 

Mature animals are omnivorous 

and primari 1 y scavenqers. They feed 

at night by combing through clumps of 

bushy alqae, diqqinq in soft 

sediments, or feedinq on attached 

orqanisms. Before dawn they return to 

the same reef or den, where they have 

been known to stay as lonq as 10 

months (Lindberg 1955). 

The behavior of spiny lobsters 

becomes more specific as they qrow 

from phyllosome larvae to adults. 

Althouqh spawninq occurs in deep 

waters, the larvae settle out in the 

shallow coastal waters. As juveniles 

they live under the protection of 

plant cover such as surf qrass, 

southern sea palms, bushy brown alqae, 

and larqe-bladed brown alqae. As 

adults they live in crevices or dens. 

Up to several hundred 1 obs ters 

sometimes live in one den (Engle 

1979). 

The spiny lobster has a number 

of predators, mainly octopuses 

(Pycnopodia SP. 1, Cal iforni a 

sheephead, cabezon (Scorpaeni chthys 

marmoratus 1, kelp bass, sharks, and 

moray eels. Predation on younq 
lobsters is common but is neqliqible 

on adults (Engle 1979). 

A potential danger to the spiny 

lobster is the sea otter (Enhydra 

lutris). Now distributed in coastal 

waters from Avila, San Luis Obispo 

County, to Ano Nuevo, San Mateo 

County, it is rapidly expanding its 

ranqe. Studies on the effects of sea 

otters foraqinq on inshore macroinvertebrates have shown that in some 

areas otters reduce the abundance of 

such animals as abalone, crabs, clams, 

and sea urchins to levels so low that 

sport and commercial fishinq for these 

species is no longer practiced (Odemar 

et a1 . 1975). 

The merit of introducinq the 

American lobster (Homarus americanus) 

in southern Cal ifornia coastal waters 

was considered by Krekorian et al. 

(1974). They theori zed that because 

of the dominant behavioral interaction 

of the American lobster over the spiny 

lobster in the laboratory, similar 

behavior could be expected in their 

natural habitat. The authors concluded that it would not be advisable 

to introduce American lobsters into 

southern California waters. 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 

Useful studies on the environmental requirements of the spiny 

lobster are scarce. Studies of growth 

re1 ated to temperature (Serf 1 ing and 

Ford 1975b) have been restricted to 

the laboratory. Serfling and Ford 

(1975a) found qrowth in the laboratory 

at temperatures between 22 and 28 OC 

to be three times faster than in 

southern Cal ifornia coastal waters 

where temperatures fluctuate between 

15 and 22 OC. Other major studies on 

environmental requirements in recent 

years include the habitat of the 

puerul us 1 arval staqe (Serf 1 inq and 

Ford 1975a; Enqle 1979). 

Since California is on the northern fringe of the spiny lobster 

range, density- independent conditions 

(e.g. , current patterns and 

temperature extremes) affecting 

recruitment and juveni 1 e survival 

probably are more limiting than in 

more southern coastal waters. Because 

of the increasing fishing pressure on 

a steadily declining stock of spiny 

lobsters, it is becoming increasingly 

urgent that the ecological 

requirements of the puerul us and 

juvenile stages be studied. On the 

basis of such information, it may be 

possible to protect or enhance the 

natural habitat of the lobsters during 

their early life stages. 

Pueruli first enter coastal. 

waters near San Diego in May and' 

continue to appear requl arly through 

September. Their movement has no 

apparent relationship to lunar or temperature cycles (Serf1 ing and Ford 

1975a). The importance of surf grass 

as a nursery for juvenile lobsters in 

southern California is clearly apparent (Serflinq and Ford 1975a; Engle 

1979) and the disturbance or destruction of it could seriously decrease 

1 obster abundance. 

Because of its high price and 

high demand, the spiny lobster is a 

1 i kely candidate for experimental 

maricul ture; but judging by the present knowledge of this species, prospects are poor. The lobster has a 

long and complicated larval life. The 

food requirements for some larvae 

stages are not known, the growth rate 

is slow, and large-scale col lections 

of puerul i for mariculture and 

restocking are not likely to be made 

(Serfling and Ford 1975b). 
LITERATURE CITED 

Allen, B.M. 1916. Notes on the spiny 

lobster (Panul irus interruptus of 

the California coast. Univ. Calif. 

Pub1 . Zoo1 . 19( 12 : 139-152. 

Backus, J. 1960. Observations on the 

growth rate of the spiny lobster. 

Calif. Fish Game 46(2):177-181. 

Bureau of Marine Fisheries. 1949. 

The commercial fish catch of 

California for the year 1947 with an 

historical review 1916-1947. Cal if. 

Dep. Fish Game Fish. Bull. 74:l-267. 

Dexter, D.M. 1972. Molting and 

growth in laboratory reared 

~hvllosomes of the Cal ifornia s~inv 

iobster, Panu1 irus interruptus: 

Calif. Fish Game 58(2):1m315. 

Duffy, J.M. 1973. The status of the 

California spiny lobster resource. 

Calif. Dep. Fish Game Mar. Res. 

Tech. Rep. 10. 15 pp. 

Engle, J.M. 1979. Ecology and growth 

of juvenile California spiny 

lobster, Panul irus interruptus 

(Randal 1). Ph.D. Dissertation. 

University of Southern California, 

Los Augeles. 273 pp. 

Frey, H.W., ed. 1971. California 

living marine resources and their 

uti 1 ization. The Resources Agency, 

California Fish and Game. 148 pp. 

Johnson, M.W. 1956. The larval 

development of the Cal i fornia spiny 

lobster, Panulirus interru~tus 

(Randal 1 ) , with notes on Panul irus 

gracilis Streets. Proc. Calif. 

Acad. Sci . 29: 1-19. 

Johnson, M. W. 1960. Production and 

distribution of larvae of the spiny 

lobster Panul irus interruptus 

(Randal 1 with records on Panul irusqraci 1 is Streets. Bull. Scripps 

Inst. Oceanogr. 6:413-462. 

Krekorian, C.O., D.C. Somerville, and 

R.F. Ford. 1974. Laboratory study 

of behavioral interactions between 

the American lobster, Homarus 

americanus, and the Cal ifornia spiny 

lobster, Panulirus interruptus, with 

comparative observations on the rock 

crab, Cancer .antennarius. U.S. 

Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv. Fish. Bull. 

Lindberg, R.G. 1955. Growth, 

population dynamics and field 

behavior in the s~in.y lobster, . - 

Panul irus interruptus (Randal 1) 

Univ. calif.Pub1. Zool. 59(6):157- 

Mitchell, C.T., C.H. Turner, and A.R. 

Strachan. 1969. Observations on 

the biology and behavior of the 

California spiny lobster, Panulirus 

interruptus (Randal 1 1. CaTiK-ECfi -- 

Game 55(2):121-131. 

Odemar, M.W., R.R. Be1 1, C.W. Haugen, 

and R.A. Hardy. 1975. Report on 

California spiny lobster, Panulirus 

interruptus (Randal 1) researchwith 

recommendat ions for management. 

Calif. Fish Game Operations Res. 

Branch. 98 pp. (Special Publication) 

Schmitt, W.L. 1921. The marine 

decapod crust acea of Cal i forni a. 

Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 23:l-470. 
Serf1 ing, S.A., and R.F. Ford. 1975a. 

Ecological studies of the puerul us 

larvae stages of the Cal ifornia 

spiny lobster, Panul i rus interrupu. U.S. Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv. 

Fish. Bull. 73(2):360-377. 

Serf 1 ing, S.A., and R.F. Ford. 1975b. 

Laboratory culture of juveni le 

stages of the Cal iforni a spiny 

lobster Panul - i rus . . interruptus 

(Randall) at elevated temperatures. 

Aquaculture 6:377-387. 

Thompson, B.G. 1983. Fisheries of 

the United States, 1983. U.S. Natl. 

Mar. Fish Serv. Curr. Fish. Stat. 

No. 8300. 117 pp. 

Wilson, R.C. 1947. A review of the 

southern Cal ifornia spiny lobster 

fishery. Calif. Fish Game 34(2):71- 

80. 
PAGE Biological Report 82(11.47)*! I 

4. Tdl. aria Svbllll* 1 % emmn c.1. 

Department of Fisheries Trinidad, CA 95570 

Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory 

Species profiles: 1 i fe histories and environmental 

requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates 

(Pacific Southwest)--spiny lobster 

7. Aw~Mr~sl 

William N. Shaw 

9. Par(ormln8 O5anlrallon Mame and Addran8 

Humbol dt State Universi-tv P.O. Box AE 

12. Smnsonry Or~anlullon Nam* and Addm88 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 13. TIP d Raoon 1 Panod co~~~d 

Fish and Wildlife Service Waterways Experiment Station 

U.S. Department of the Interior P.O. Box 631 

Washington, DC 20240 Vicksburg, MS 39180 

~~ri1- 1986 

L 

8. '-Homlns 01~8n~xar1on Ioot. ho 

10. ~~IMIT~IIIWOIL Unol No. 

*U.S. Any Corps of Engineers Report No. TR EL-82-4 

1L Cbanc( (Umtt ZW words) 

Species profiles are summaries of the 1 i terature on taxonomy, morphol ogy, distribution, 

1 i fe history, and environmental requirements of major coastal aquatic species, which are 

prepared to assist in environmental impact assessment. The spiny lobster (Panulirus 

interruptus) supports a valuable commercial and sport fishery along the southern 

California coast. Mating takes place from March to August in water 50 to 100 ft deep. 

The larvae pass through 11 pelagic stages in 7 to 9 months. The puerulus stage lasts 

another 2.5 months before the lobster transforms into the benthic form. Age at sexual 

maturity is 3 to 6 years for males and 5 to 9 years for females. Spiny lobsters are 

caught in commercial traps from October through March. Sport fishing for lobsters is 

mainly done by skin divers and scuba divers. Juveniles live in shallow coastal waters 

under the protection of plant cover; adults live in crevices or dens. Larvae are 

plankton feeders and adults are omnivorous, primarily scavengers. Because of a scarcity 

of information on larval food requirements and the slow larval growth rate, profitable 

mariculture of the spiny lobster currently is not feasible. 

Lobsters Life cycles 

Growth 

Feeding habits 

b. Id*nllfi~n/~n-Cndod T*rms 

Spiny lobster Ecol o g i c a l r e q u i rements 

Panul irus interruptus 

Commerci a1 f i shery 

Sport fishery 

U.S.G.P.O. 1986/661-638 

C COSATI ?i*ldlGmuo 

1L Ar.~lsD\latr S1aforn.nt 1 19. ~.cursrr CI~SS nhas Ramnr 1 Unclassified 

, 20. 3.curarr C:a.s ithb. Palr! 

Unlimited re1 ease I Unclassified 

21. No of Pa~rs 

10 

n. P,C* 

- 

(Sro AN5 -23 181 O).TIONAL fCRY :7: 

ifor-,<* NTlS-3% 

&pann.nc of C3--LC- 
REGION 1 

Regional Director 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Lloyd Five Hundred Building, Suite 1692 

500 N.E. Multnornah Street 

Portland, Oregon 97232 

REGION 4 

Regional Director 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Richard B. Russell Building 

75 Spring Street, S.W. 

Atlanta, Georgia 30303 

REGION 2 REGION 3 

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P.O. Box 1306 Federal Building, Fort Snelling 

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87 103 Twin Cities, Minnesota 55 1 1 1 

REGION 5 REGION 6 

Regional Director Regional Director 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

One Gateway Center P.O. Box 25486 

Newton Corner, Massachusetts 02158 Denver Federal Center 

Denver, Colorado 80225 

REGION 7 

Regional Director 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

101 1 E. Tudor Road 

Anchorage, Alaska 99503 
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. FISH AID WILDLIFE SERVICE 

As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our,nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes 

fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, 

preserving theenvironmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, 

and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in 

the best interests of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for 

American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under 

U.S. administration.