THE EFFECT OF STEROID HORMONE FEEDS ON THE REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF THE SPINY LOBSTER, PANULIRUS INTERRUPTUS (J. W. RANDALL, 1840) (DECAPODA, PALINURA)

Abstract

In this study, the effects of adding steroid hormones to the feeds administered to cultures of the spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus (J. W. Randall, 1840), were investigated. The results indicate that the addition of steroid hormones in the feeds evoke (1) an increase in the ratio of ovigerous versus non-ovigerous females of up to 13.68% as compared to the controls; (2) fertilized females were present several months longer in the treatment group than in the control group; and (3) the ovigerous period, i.e., the time from fertilization until release of the young, was substantially shorter under a regime of feeding with steroid hormone additions. As a conclusion, enrichment of the feeds with steroid hormones thus distinctly increases the yield of young spiny lobsters in the course of a year cycle.