Fertilization and Egg Retention in Artificially Inseminated Female American Lobsters, Homarus americanus

Abstract

Female American lobsters, Homarus americanus, seldom are receptive to mating more than 24 h after they molt, a fact that complicates breeding programs in large facilities where animals are held individually. Artificial insemination can eliminate this problem, but preliminary studies have indicated poor fertilization success from intermolt inseminations. In the present study, 86 female American lobsters of wild and cultured stock were artificially inseminated in all postmolt and intermolt stages, 64 subsequently spawned, and 98% successfully fertilized their eggs, indicating no constraint of molt stage on success of insemination. Of artificially inseminated females, 50% of wild stock and 7% of cultured stock carried their eggs to hatch.