Settlement of the red rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii, near Gisborne, New Zealand

Abstract

A collector monitored the settlement of the puerulus stage of Jasus edwardsii near Gisborne during 1980-82. Details of the construction, deployment, and checking of the collector are given. The main peak of settlement occurred during winter, when catch rates averaged over a set of 3 collectors reached 0.9 puerulus per collector per day. There was evidence for a much smaller peak during summer. Puerulus settling during winter were significantly larger than those settling at other times of the year. The highest number of animals on an individual collector was 18. The collector may prove useful in providing an index of natural settlement. © Crown 1986.