The Marron lobster, Cherax tenuimanus, is a freshwater lobster or crayfish indigenous to southwest Austalia, and is a promising new species for United States aquaculture. It looks and tastes like Maine lobster and grows well at high densities in pond culture, feeding on detrital organisms. Travers Group, Inc. (TGI) will conduct Phase I experiments to determine growth rate, density effects, and reproduction potential of Marron under environmental conditions and temperatures found in the southeastern U.S. Phase I experiments will be conducted by TGI from February 1 to July 31, 1988 at Auburn University, which provides excellent facilities and climatic conditions similar to southwest Australia. The experiments will build on initial bioassys conducted by TGI and Auburn University in 1986-1987. Phase I findings, combined with those from TGI's Marron project in Dominica (Caribbean), begun in 1986, and existing Australian research results, will be used to design an expanded Phase II research and development program. Density, feed, and polyculture experiments will be run at two sites in Phase II in preparation for Phase III commercial scale project.
