The effect of temperature on the incubation of eggs of the tropical rock lobster Panulirus ornatus

Abstract

The period over which spiny lobster eggs develop varies widely and is related to incubation temperature. For the tropical rock lobster (Panulirus ornatus), this relationship is found to be: Incubation period (days) = 95.444–2.482 × Temperature (°C) for incubation temperatures between 24 and 30 °C. Incubation temperatures ≥ 32 °C are unsuitable for this species and result in the termination of egg clutches. Additionally, egg clutches incubated at lower temperatures hatched over more nights than those at higher temperatures. These findings mean that lead times to larval hatch can now be predicted for this species, allowing for preparation time prior to larval culture.