Introduction to lobsters: Biology, fisheries and aquaculture

Abstract

Marine lobsters are high-valued crustaceans occupying a variety of habitats in tropical, subtropical and temperate oceans, from continental shelves and slopes to deep sea ridges, remote seamounts, lagoons and even estuaries. The highly diverse form and size are suited to their wide distribution in a range of shallow coastal and oceanic habitats. They are economically important, forming sustained profitable fisheries in many countries. In 2016, world capture production was 3,08,926 t, with an additional 2000 t from aquaculture. Apart from their economic importance, they are an important component of the marine ecosystems, playing pivotal roles as a prey and a predator. Lobster has been one of the most extensively studied group, and literature search has yielded more than 15,000 entries including research papers, technical reports and popular articles on taxonomy, biology, physiology, ecology, fisheries and aquaculture of clawed, spiny and slipper lobsters. The knowledge base created on individual species is critical in our understanding of the life history strategies and ecology of larvae, juveniles and adults. Advances in molecular techniques have been instrumental in resolving the conflicting hypotheses of evolutionary relationships among different taxa. Recent success in breeding and seed production has prompted researchers to develop commercially viable technologies for aquaculture of a few species, which is expected to relieve the mounting pressure on the natural resource. Lobster has been subjected to intensive exploitation due to high price in the international markets and except in a few countries where impeccable management strategies have ensured sustained production, the resource has been under heavy pressure due to poor enforcement of fishing and marketing regulations. The need to develop alternate management strategies, including co-management, is emphasised so that the resource could be conserved and their sustainability ensured. This volume attempts to present available information on biology, fisheries and aquaculture of lobsters with special focus on lobster research in India.