Bogavantes azules en las Islas Cíes

The blue lobster (Homarus gammarus) is one of the largest crustaceans found in Cíes Islands (NW Spain). Its body can reach up to 60 cm in length and weight up to 10 kg. In April 2024 a record lobster of 9,36 kg was caught in Rinlo, a region in Galicia (NW Spain). Females live around 74 years. However, the oldest male recorded was only up to 42 years old. They grow very slowly. From their fourth year of life they molt annually and grow at less than 10% of their premolt. Females of H. gammarus reach sexual maturity between 5 and 7 years old, when they have grown to a cephalothorax length of around 76 mm, while males mature at a slightly smaller size of approximately 73 mm. Therefore, they take much longer than other crustaceans to reach sexual maturity and reproduce. Spider crabs, for instance, start reproducing when they are 2 years old. Due to these characteristics, they need strict protection to prevent depletion of stocks and the eventual disappearance from the marine ecosystem due to overfishing. Lobsters live in solitude. They are territorial and very aggressive with their peers and only come together to reproduce. Mating usually occurs in summer between a recently molted female, whose shell is soft, and a male with a hard shell. The female carries the eggs attached to her pleopods, the swimming legs under her abdomen, brooding them for 12 months. The pleopods of females have a feathery appearance, different from those of males. The lobster population in the Cíes Islands is suffering a sharp decline. The establishment of Marine Protected Reserve Areas in Cíes Islands will be the most effective solution for its preservation. An excellent example is the success of KÅVRA LOBSTER RESERVE in Sweden, established 30 years ago. In the reserve, the number of this crustaceans is 15 times greater than in the nearby areas, and 24% of the lobsters observed exceed 15 cm in cephalothorax length. However, in the areas close to the reserve, where fishing continues, individuals of that size are not observed. The success of this and other Marine Protected Reserves pave the way we must follow so that lobsters continue to show their striking blue color in the sea of the Cíes Islands. Recorded in the Cíes Islands. Ria de Vigo. Galicia. Spain. Atlantic NO.