Molt- and Growth-Enhancing Effects of Bilateral Eyestalk Ablation on Juvenile and Adult American Lobsters (Homarus americanus)

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Abstract
Growth rate of 20 juvenile lobsters (Homarus americanus) at the 7th or 8th stage (2 mo old) and 9 older juveniles (5 mo old) was greatly enhanced by bilateral eyestalk ablation. The average weight of 7th and 8th stage ablated lobsters was 5 times that of controls 200 days after the operation. This increased growth was the result of increased molt frequency and greater percent weight gain per molt. Dietary composition was more critical to the survival and growth of the ablated lobsters than it was to the controls. A low protein diet resulted in reduced growth and survival of ablated lobsters but had little effect on controls. Biochemical analyses revealed that although the fast growth of ablated lobsters resulted in decreased lipid deposition in whole tail, chelae, and hepatopancreas, the faster growth rate was the result of real tissue synthesis and protein deposition.

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