Modelling growth of rock lobsters, Jasus edwardsii, off Victoria, Australia using models that allow for individual variation in growth parameters

A method for modelling the growth of crustaceans, including rock lobsters, that assumes that all animals in a population grow differently, but that the individual variation in the parameters of the growth curve can be captured using a probability distribution, is developed. The method allows for the impact of selectivity on the probability of recapturing a tagged animal. The method is applied to rock lobsters, Jasus edwardsii, off Victoria, Australia. The results suggest that growth differs between males and females, as well as spatially. Ignoring the impact of selectivity on the probability of recapturing a tagged animal is shown to lead to over-estimation of growth rates, which could potentially lead to over-optimistic management advice.