Toralla Marine Science Station (Ecimat) from Vigo university. (Photo: Ramon Vaquero, Ecimat)
Researchers try to overcome obstacles by breeding lobster
(SPAIN, 8/10/2011)
The loss of the first larvae obtained in tanks, which had survived more than 60 days, prevented a team of scientists from completing one of the initial stages of the larval cycle of the spiny lobster (Palinurus Elephas) in captivity.
However, researchers at the Marine Science Station of Toralla (Ecimat) from the University of Vigo announced that the experiment will be performed again during the European autumn (spawning season).
In addition, Spanish biologists indicated that they could collect key information about this prized species in the culinary field, the newspaper Faro de Vigo reported.
This experiment has only been successful in Japan.
The Spanish project failed when the fry was in the stage of phyllosoma VI, that is to say, in the penultimate larval stage of the cycle before becoming a juvenile specimen.
"We are still in the early stages but we have taken a scientifically interesting step. It has aroused interest and has been spread," said Enrique Poza, head of the experiment and Ecimat technical director.
The researchers plan to make a change in the diet of the larvae in order to achieve the long-awaited scientific success. The biologists provided the fry with artemia (a microscopic crustacean) of different sizes according to the life phase.
"In the early stages it was very good but then the fry did not feed as efficiently and in that stage we will have to make changes and offer supplements," explained Poza.
During the first failed experiment, five hundred larvae from a single mother caught in a Galician fishery before the eggs they were carrying in their abdomen had hatched were employed.
In this second attempt, the scientists will have several mothers to develop the incubation in tanks and to experiment with various egg laying instances.
"In the first phase, many died due to technical problems and then survival was quite good until the last stages," the expert said.
Related article:
- Partial completion of spiny lobster larval cycle in captivity
By Analia Murias
editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media
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