Open AccessTHE POTENTIAL FOR EYESTALK ABLATION AS A TECHNIQUE FOR ACCELERATING GROWTH OF LOBSTERS, (Homarus americanus) FOR COMMERCIAL CULTURE
Author(s) -
Castell J. D.,
Covey J. F.,
Aiken D. E.,
Waddy S. L.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
proceedings of the annual meeting ‐ world mariculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0164-0399
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1977.tb00169.x
Subject(s) - homarus , moulting , american lobster , biology , carapace , eyestalk , zoology , fishery , muda , scylla serrata , cannibalism , crustacean , larva , ecology
An experiment with 201 “canner” lobsters (6.3–8.1 cm carapace length) was undertaken to determine whether eyestalk ablation could be used to accelerate growth rate and thus increase market value of small commercially caught lobsters. The experiment was designed to test the effect of ablation on molting, and to compare mass culture with individual containers, growth at 15°C with that at ambient temperature (0–10°C average about 3°C), growth and survival of females with that of males and to compare the effects of two formulated diets. Eyestalk ablation greatly accelerated the molting and also increased the weight gain of lobsters which molted. Survival of ablated lobsters was good, with cannibalism of molting lobsters in the mass rearing tanks being the main cause of death. The molting rate for both ablated and control lobsters was greater at 15°C than at ambient temperatures. The percent weight gain tended to be greater for males than females. Slight differences in weight gain were also observed between dietary treatments. Both test diets contained rock crab, cooked lobster bodies from a cannery, sea urchin and mussels with gelatin and agar as binders, one diet was supplemented with fish oil, vitamins and fish meal. Flavor panel testing indicated no significant difference between control, ablated or freshly caught wild lobsters in either taste or texture.