Jasus edwardsii, (Hutton, 1875)
Jasus edwardsii, the southern rock lobster, red rock lobster, or spiny rock lobster, is a species of spiny lobster found throughout coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand including the Chatham Islands. It is commonly called crayfish in Australia and New Zealand and kōura in Māori. They resemble lobsters, but lack the large characteristic pincers on the first pair of walking legs.
Spiny rock lobsters are carnivorous, leaving their rock cover to venture out to feed during the night. They live in and around reefs at depths ranging from 5–200 metres (16–660 ft) deep at the continental shelf. They can be dark red and orange above with paler yellowish abdomens or grey-green brown with the paler underside. The more tropical animals tend to have the brighter colours. Adult carapaces can grow up to 230 millimetres (9.1 in) in length and can often exceed 8 kilograms (18 lb) in underfished areas.
The maximum total body length is 58 centimetres (23 in) for males, and 43 centimetres (17 in) for females. The maximum carapace lengths are 23.5 centimetres (9.3 in) for males and 18 centimetres (7.1 in) for females. Minimum legal carapace lengths vary depending on location. In some areas, Jasus edwardsii are frequently harvested weighing over 4.5 kilograms (9.9 lb).
Jasus edwardsii is found around most of the coast of New Zealand, including the three main islands, the Three Kings Islands, the Chatham Islands, the Snares Islands, the Bounty Islands, the Antipodes Islands and the Auckland Islands. This last locality is the southernmost place where spiny lobsters occur in the world. In Australia, J. edwardsii is found around the southern coast, from central New South Wales to southern Western Australia, including Tasmania.
Jasus edwardsii is prized by consumers in Oceania, China and South-East Asia for its sweet, succulent flesh. Like true lobster, it can be served boiled, steamed, grilled or raw. A$250 million worth are harvested every year in Australia alone.
Adults are sexually mature at between 7 and 11 years, mating occurs during late summer and autumn. Eggs develop on females, which carry between 100,000 and 500,000 eggs which are fertilised and held below the tail on hairs on the female's abdomen. The eggs develop here for 3 to 5 months. Eggs then metamorphose into naupliosoma larva which leave the female and are free swimming plankton which migrate towards the surface where they moult into a phyllosoma larva.
The rock lobster has among the longest larval development known for any marine creature. The phyllosoma (Greek for "leaf-like") larvae spend between 9 months to 2 years in oceanic waters before metamorphosing to the post larval stage, known as the puerulus, which then swims towards the coast to settle.
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