Growth rate of adult rock lobsters Jasus edwardsii increased through translocation

Growth rates of southern rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii, decrease from north to south of Tasmania and also decrease with depth. Slow-growing lobsters from deep-water regions were translocated to shallow-water, inshore areas to examine the potential of translocation to increase yield for the Tasmanian rock lobster industry. Within their first moult, translocated lobsters increased their growth rates, exceeding that of resident deep-water lobsters from the original site. Growth of translocated females increased to the extent that it exceeded resident shallow-water females in the first year post-release. The increased growth rate of deep-water southern rock lobsters after translocation and the magnitude of the growth increments achieved in a short period highlight the plasticity in growth of this species. Growth, and therefore size-at-age, are potentially determined by density effects, food availability or other unidentified environmental factors. Rapid increases in lobster growth achieved through translocation suggest that translocation could be applied to increase the productivity of the fishery.