Deep-Water Japanese Blunthorn Lobster Palinustus waguensis Kubo, 1963: First Estimates of Life History Parameters From the Southwest Coast of India

Palinustus waguensis Kubo, 1963, is the deep-sea Japanese blunthorn lobster belonging to Family Palinuridae. It a species that has been rarely reported, living in rocky habitats on deep-reef slopes at depth of 100–250 m. An estimated catch 100 kg P. consisting 113 males, 54 females, and 23 berried lobsters were collected during first fortnight January 2019 from multi-day shrimp trawls operating off Sakthikulangara, Kerala, India. The mean total length was recorded as 112.3 mm 102.6 females. parameters length-weight relationship as, = 0.041, b 2.84 for males 0.05, 2.86 which not significantly different (P > r2 0.90) between relative condition factor (K) females ranged 2.07–4.96 1.87–3.86, respectively, attributing better feeding efficiency males. Food analysis revealed dietary content fish (53 %), crab (23.5 (7.8 digested matter (11.6 foraminifera (4 %). Feeding intensity about fullness stomach showed specimens bearing full stomachs (11.3 three-fourth (9.9 Length 50 % maturity (Lm50) 96.9 mm. Gonado-somatic index (GSI) 3.39 8.13. present study forms report biology deep-water lobster,