AirLobster has a continuing commitment to education in the fields of aquaculture and animal husbandry and has

established links with universities and further education centres. We have provided our facilities and premises

for further research, not only for the purposes of student education, but also to push the boundaries of aquaculture in general. We have been fortunate enough to take advantage of some of the information gained

from the research conducted in our premises. As well as having school classes visit our facility in Adelaide, and

also the depot at Vivonne Bay on Kangaroo Island, we go to schools and kindergartens to help broaden children's knowledge base and outlook.
It is great to see the the young ones when they come face to

face witha 10 kilogram Giant Crab or a large lobster. I usually

find a child brave enough to kiss the crab on its back and then

the other kids are happy to get a bit closer and open their

minds up to learn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are three obvious ways to tell the sex of a southern rock lobster and they are as follows

 

The swimmerets (pleopods) look like leaves running down either side of the underside of the abdomen.

With a male, these swimmerets are single leaves (below left). With a female, they are paired and they have

structures that look like combs underneath them. These combs develop a hair-like structure which eggs

are attached to (The female is below right)

 

 

The female needs to keep these eggs in good condition during the gestation period and they 'comb' through

them with the fifth leg which is a nipper. All its other legs end in a single claw. All of the males legs end in a

single claw. (Male below left, female below right)

 

 

The male and female reproductive organs are in different positions. The male's genital opening is at the base of

the fifth leg (below left) and for the female, it is at the base of the third leg (below right)