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Life history of the slipper lobster Scyllarides astori Holthuis 1960, in the Galapagos islands, Ecuador

Abstract:

Growth of the scyllarid lobster Scyllarides astori was estimated in the Galapagos Marine Reserve by use of tag-recapture data and analysis of length-frequency distributions. Asymptotic carapace lengths (CL ∞), obtained from Powell-Wetherall plots, were 17.53 cm for males and 16.38 cm for females. A 'forced' Gulland-Holt plot gave growth constants (K) of 0.153 yr-1 for males and 0.162 yr-1 for females. The narrow size distribution suggests that juveniles occupy a different spatial niche and that adult growth is either very slow or that there is a terminal moult. Currently mainly used for local consumption, there is pressure to allow exportation of S. astori on a large scale to continental Ecuador and abroad. However, its slow growth and low abundance point to the need for a cautious approach and the implementation of clear and enforceable regulations in order to ensure the biological and economical sustainability of the population. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.