Substrate Preference Of Southern King Crab Lithodes santolla Larvae In Laboratory

TAPELLA, FEDERICO; SOTELANO, M. PAULA; ROMERO, MC; SCHVEZOV, NATASHA; LOVRICH, GUSTAVO A.

Congreso; XIV Congreso Latinoamericano de Ciencias del Mar; 2011

 Despite the fishery importance of L. santolla in Southern South America, there have not been studies of larvae habitat preferences. Such information is critical for any stock enhancement programs. The aim of this study was to determine the natural substrata that Zoea (Z) and Megalopa (M) stages prefer to settle. Experiments were performed in round containers divided into four portions, each one filled with: sand, gravel, cobbles and shell. Containers were assigned to 10 groups (12 and 28 for each Z stage and M, respectively) of 4 replicates each and randomly distributed in a cold room. Thirty six larvae were released in each container which were removed after 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days (treatments). Numbers of swimming and settled larvae on each substrate were recorded. Numbers of swimming larvae were scarce and both Z and M larvae settled immediately after being released. Although slight differences were observed between Z and M stages, all larval stages selected natural substrata on the basis of their complexity. Thus, the preference of Southern king crab (SKC) larvae for complex substrata such as gravel and cobble but mainly shell, may provide them and first juveniles with shelter habitat which reduces predation and/or cannibalism interactions during the early life and critical stages as occur in other king crab species.