Spatiotemporal variability in postsettlement energy reserves of the Caribbean spiny lobster

Abstract

Spiny lobsters have a lengthy larval phase that develops in oceanic waters, followed by a nonfeeding, transparent postlarva (puerulus) that actively swims towards the coast to settle in shallow habitats. After settling, the transparent puerulus (TP) forms a new pigmented exoskeleton (pigmented puerulus, PP) and molts after 3–4 wks into the first juvenile instar (J1), which resumes feeding. Because the swim to the coast and the postsettlement molt are energetically demanding, the nutritional condition of pueruli and J1 is likely to vary with settlement location and over time, potentially playing a crucial role in the recruitment to the benthic population. We examined variation in total lipid and total protein content, as well as in lipid classes, size, and a condition index, in TP, PP, and J1 of Panulirus argus. Samples were obtained from pueruli collectors at two locations of the Mexican Caribbean coast about 150 km from each other in the four seasons of three consecutive years. Our results show a decrease in the total lipid (mainly phospholipid) and total protein content during the TP-PP-JI transition, and a high degree of temporal variability in the size and nutritional condition of pueruli settling at both locations. Despite this variability, all settlers exhibited a relatively consistent high nutritional status in comparison with other spiny lobster species. This may be related to a short onshore transport period of pueruli to this coast, suggesting that limitation of lipid reserves is unlikely to affect their subsequent survival and recruitment to the benthic population.