Squat Lobster Fisheries

MARIANO J. DIEZ

The Natural History of the Crustacea. Fisheries and aquaculture.

Oxford University Press

Año: 2020;

Squat lobstershave a worldwide distribution. They are very important in benthic communitiesof many types of environments from intertidal zones to the deep sea. Only threeof the around 1000 known species of squat lobsters are currently target ofcommercial explotation: Pleuroncodesplanipes, P. monodon, Cervimunida johni; and one has potentialinterest: Munida gregaria. These fourspecies belong to the family Munididae. The main interest in fishing thesespecies is for human consumption although they are also important as aningredient of pelletized food for aquaculture, as a natural source of pigmentsfor cultured salmon, or supply of chitin. Squat lobster fisheries are mainlydeveloped in Latin America although in recent years the commercial interest ofsome species has also expanded to Europe where they often dominate fishingdiscards. From the beginning, the fisheries of these crustaceans group haveshown many temporal fluctuations. In consequence, some countries applied certaintypes of ban whereas in other countries the fishery is unrestricted. As ageneral trend, squat lobster species with commercial exploitation denote amarked seasonal reproductive cycle associated with upwelling cycles, low oxygenzones or high productivity areas. Then, fisheries of squat lobsters aretypically associated with areas where other fisheries also occur. In consequence, highabundances of squat lobsters show that they are interacting with otherfisheries in both negative and positive ways. In this context, this chapterprovides information on the biology and ecology of squat lobsters as targetspecies, their fishing methods, the development of fisheries in the world and theirproducts. Finally, a brief description of the important role of these speciesin the ecosystems is included.