Review and Outlook for Aquaculture of Scalloped Spiny Lobster (Panulirus homarus)

Qianlin Mai; falin Zhou; Gang Yu; Yundong Li

doi:10.53941/ale.2026.100001

Abstract

The scalloped spiny lobster (Panulirus homarus) is a commercially significant species widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. With wild populations experiencing decline, there is growing interest in its aquaculture potential. This review consolidates global research conducted between 2000 and 2025, addressing four critical areas: Germplasm Resources, Aquaculture Technologies, Artificial Seed Production, and Feed, Toxicology, and Diseases. Progress has been made in germplasm resources exploration and captive breeding, significant challenges remain. One of the major constraints is the continued dependence on wild-caught seeds, largely due to the inability to achieve consistent artificial culture from the phyllosoma to puerulus stages. In addition, the absence of specialized formulated diets tailored to the species’ complex nutritional requirements constrains larval growth, survival, and overall production efficiency. Efforts to close the life cycle under culture conditions will require innovations in larval rearing protocols, improved water quality and environmental control, targeted research on larval nutrition, and the application of functional genomics to accelerate selective breeding. Strong interdisciplinary collaboration among genetics, nutrition, physiology, and engineering is essential to overcome these technical bottlenecks and establish an environmentally responsible, economically viable aquaculture framework for P. Homarus.

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