Developmental changes in the mouthparts of juvenile Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus: Implications for aquaculture

Light microscopy and video analysis were used to examine the mouthpart morphology and feeding behaviour of the Caribbean spiny lobster from puerulus (megalopal stage) (5–8 mm carapace length, CL) to adult (85 mm CL). Upon settlement the pueruli did not possess fully functional mouthparts, however, efficient feeding appendages appeared in the first instar juvenile (after the first moult from puerulus). From this stage the density, robustness and complexity of setation on the mouthparts, together with the size and calcification of the mouthparts increased progressively with the size of the lobster. The changes correlated well with previously observed ontogenetic changes in natural prey, from small and soft prey in early juveniles to large and well-armoured molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms in late juveniles and adults. The efficiency of shredding and tearing food items, mostly with the second maxillipeds, increased concomitantly with lobster size, as did the ability of the mandibles to grind and process food. Based on morphological and behavioural observations it is recommended that formulated feeds for first instar juvenile lobsters should be small (1–2 mm in diameter), soft and pulpy in texture to maximise feed intake. For large juvenile lobsters (45–80 mm CL), food items should increase to 5–10 mm in diameter and be of firmer consistency. Differences in feeding behaviour between spiny lobster species suggest that formulated diets developed to be efficient in one species may not be directly transferable to other species.