The morphometric relationship of carapace length (CL) to tail width (TW) of southern rock 10 lobster (Jasus edwardsii) was determined to assist enforcement of existing minimum size limits and also to enable the development of an upper size limit in Tasmania. Data were collected from southern rock lobsters in the wild and at processors and used to develop a system for measuring TW which reduces measurement error. Linear regression was used to define the relationship between CL and TW for males (TW=0.4107x+14.058, R²=.9236, n = 1003) and females 15 (TW=0.5756x+2.2884, R²=.9323, n=503). Logistic regressions provide the TWs associated with the probability (0.5, 50 and 95%) of a lobster having a carapace equal to or more than the theoretical size limits. Regional differences in the morphometric relationship were evident but would not prevent the use of size limit based on TW if a conservative probability value were used.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	lobster;management; size; growth; Palinuridae
Research Division:	Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences
Research Group:	Fisheries sciences
Research Field:	Fisheries management
Objective Division:	Animal Production and Animal Primary Products
Objective Group:	Fisheries - wild caught
Objective Field:	Fisheries - recreational freshwater
UTAS Author:	Fry, C (Mr Colin Fry)
UTAS Author:	Green, B (Associate Professor Bridget Green)
UTAS Author:	Gardner, C (Professor Caleb Gardner)
ID Code:	86468
Year Published:	2014
Web of Science® Times Cited:	1
Deposited By:	Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration
Deposited On:	2013-09-17
Last Modified:	2022-08-30
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