Feed availability and its relationship to survival, growth, dominance and the agonistic behaviour of the southern rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii in captivity

The effect of feed availability (ration level and feeding frequency) on the culture performance of the juvenile (5–22 g) southern rock lobster Jasus edwardsii was examined to determine whether multiple daily feeding of a formulated feed would stimulate growth. Furthermore, the relationships between feed availability, agonistic behaviour, dominance, growth and survival were examined. A total of 252 lobsters (mean weight 5.26 g) were stocked into 28 black 52-l tanks at a density of nine lobsters per tank (42 m −2) and maintained at a temperature of 18.8 °C in a recirculating seawater system for 119 days. Lobsters were fed with high (4% BW day −1) or low (0.5% BW day −1) rations divided between one, two or four meals per day. These regimes were compared to a regime of fresh mussels ( Mytilus edulis) fed to excess once per day. Feeding lobsters with a high-ration level, 4 day −1, made no significant ( P>0.05) improvements in specific growth rate (SGR) (0.77–0.82% BW day −1), survival (75–84%) or biomass yields (96–102 g) compared to feeding 1 or 2 day −1. Low-ration-fed lobsters had a higher final mean weight (17.5–20.9 g) compared to high-ration lobsters (13.4–14.3 g), however, survival of lobsters that were fed with low ration of 4 day −1 (41%) was significantly ( P