Rock lobster travel routes
Modelled settlement patterns of rock lobster larvae hatched in Quota Management Area CRA8
Data on ocean currents have been used to model the sources and destinations of rock lobster (‘crayfish’) larvae around New Zealand, with implications for fisheries management.
Because the phyllosoma larval stage lasts 12–24 months in rock lobster, the pueruli (settlement stage) may settle far from where the larvae originate. Hence, some rock lobster populations may be supported by distant spawning, and some populations may contribute little to the lobster stock.
NIWA scientists used satellite-derived data on ocean currents to simulate pathways of larvae originating from different areas around New Zealand.
The results show larval flow from South Island to North Island quota management areas, but little flow from north to south. Rock lobsters settling in the far north come from the west coast of both islands, while those settling in the South Island come mostly from the far south of New Zealand. Chatham Island and eastern North Island rock lobsters appear to be mostly locals.