Variability of the red (Panulirus meripurpuratus), green (Panulirus laevicauda) and slliper (Scyllarides brasiliensis) lobsters in the Pernambuco coast

Abstract

Lobsters are valuable fisheries resources in the northeastern coast of Brazil. In the Pernambuco state, the catches of the red (Panulirus meripurpuratus) and the green (Panulirus laevicauda) spiny lobsters are high, while the catches of the slipper lobster (Scyllarides brasiliensis) is low. In this study, the variability of the monthly and annual catches of those three species were analyzed with data obtained between 1999 and 2006. Overall the red lobster predominates in the catches. Catch of the red and the green lobsters decrease quickly starting from the beginning of the fishery after the closed season, but this do not occur for slipper lobster. Total annual catches of small or intermediate length boats were higher than summed catches of large boats. São José da Coroa Grande, followed by Recife, is the city with highest catches. There was spatial zonation concerning the proportions of the three species in the annual catches. The red lobster is largely dominant in the catches of the southern coast, where the slipper lobster is not uncommon. In the northern coast catches, the slipper lobster is rare and the proportion of green lobster is high and similar to the proportion of the red lobster.