Culture of the palinurid Palinurus elephas from egg stage to puerulus.

The first complete phyllosoma culture of Palinurus elephas was accomplished in the laboratory following the successful culture of Jasus lalandii and a hybrid of Jasus. Egg-bearing females were usually found in tanks in October and November, and hatching occurred in the following spring. About 3, 000 stage I phyllosoma were cultured at 17-19°C, being fed with nauplii of Artemia at the intial stages and Mytilus edulis at advanced stages. The phyllosoma advanced to stage IV after 41 days from hatching. An individual was estimated to molt another four times to reach the final phyllosoma stage. Metamorphosis into the puerulus stage occurred 132 days after hatching. The large size at hatching and the short time to metamorphosis are characteristic of the phyllosoma of this species. The behaviour of the Palinurus elephas puerulus was significantly different to that of Jasus spp.; Palinurus elephas stretched the five pairs of pereiopods wide during swimming and also while on the bottom.