The Western rock lobster fishery is a valuable resource in Australia, but it is important to manage it sustainably. One way to do this is to understand the population dynamics, including the age of the lobsters. Traditional methods of measuring age, such as body size, are noy very reliable, so researchers have been exploring alternative approaches. One promising method involves measuring the concentration of a fluorescent liquid called lipofuscin in the nervous tissue of the lobster. The researchers collected samples of lobsters and measured their lipofuscin concentration to determine their age. They found that this method was more accurate than the traditional size-based method and could help with managing the fishery. The researchers plan to conduct further studies to validate the results and find a more efficient method to measure lipofuscin concentration.