As muddies only live for about 4 years, assuming nothing eats them beforehand, I think there should be a size limit that allows you to keep the jennies when they are between 3 and 4 years. That way they still do their breeding, but you can also keep the odl ones before they die anyway. I have put back some enormous jennies.
I also thought female muddies laid there eggs female muddies laid there eggs offshore. There was a photo on this site, a long time ago, of somebody foul hooking one on a lure when trolling for marlin!!!
Theory of jennies don't breed down south is WRONG. I am 250km south of Sydney with healthy population of muddies in back creek to estuary. Have seen jenny in berry. Do the right thing (as it sounds like most of you do). Take the odd jenny if pickings are slim but return 90% at least.
My old skipper used to be a trout fisherman up north around Port Douglas and said that they would form large schools(if that's the correct term) offshore and drop their eggs.I heard from a fellow who apparently read a DPI study report,that once a jenny was about 10cm across the carapice ,her role was to find a male,get his sperm,and would then eat him???If this is true it might explain the imbalance??
I was just talking to a mate today who has a few muddies in a lounge room tank that have just mated. the first question I asked did you get some photos? A. NO
he said the buck crab (with no claws) sat on top of the smaller jenny for about 10 or so days, during this time the jenny was right way up tightly wrapped up by the bucks legs, she then moulted and the buck flipped her on to her back with her abdominal flap spread right back so he could get right in to deposit his bundles of sperm.
I am very interested what will happen now
Cheers Murf
I went down to sydney a while ago, and went to the fish markets. Being a Queenslander; what I saw horrified me, 2 whole tubs of jennies for sale. I gave them a word, but at that time I didn't know the regulations. And was informed of them later. No regrets.
rockfisho
Originally Posted by murf
I was just talking to a mate today who has a few muddies in a lounge room tank that have just mated. the first question I asked did you get some photos? A. NO
he said the buck crab (with no claws) sat on top of the smaller jenny for about 10 or so days, during this time the jenny was right way up tightly wrapped up by the bucks legs, she then moulted and the buck flipped her on to her back with her abdominal flap spread right back so he could get right in to deposit his bundles of sperm.
I am very interested what will happen now
Cheers Murf
Your mate is going to have to up the salinity of the water to match what is found well offshore because estuary water is toxic to all four stages of Zoea (hatclings under a month old),it's not 'til they turn into Megalopa that they can tolerate estuary water.
hi banshee
we did discuss the higher salinity as his tank was a little high and wondered if it was a trigger for them to breed?
yes a low salinity less than 18ppt (sea water around 35ppt?)will kill the zoea also higher than 25deg temp will kill them but feeding them will be a chalenge and keep him busy, Keeping a supply of plankton like rotifers and brine shrimp going and then when older in the megalopa stage feeding so they don't cannabalise.
Cheers Murf
Good luck with that Murf. From what I've read, it seems professional fisheries find it hard to breed and raise muddies. Would be great to get it going. Sounds like you know what you're doing.
If you can do it yourself, it will beat getting your pots raided.
G'day Murf, the prawn farm at Jacobs Well plays around with crabs a fair bit it could be a sorce of info for you if you get stuck.
thanks banshee
I did a bit of research into it some 6 or more years ago when I was into redclaw aquaculture but came up with more problems than solutions. I hope that fisheries are in the know a lot more now than then.
I have access to tidal salt water down the bottom end of my property and with ponds already there comercial aquaculture of mud crabs was something I considered playing with. but like I said more problems than solutions for my location.
I am now retired through injury and just manage to get down the back and throw a few traps in a couple of times a year
Cheers Murf
Murf, the temp heater wasn't playing up hey? they might have been just cuddling up..
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