Research has been completed showing that it is possible to harvest commercial quantities of pueruli/post-pueruli, which at this stage, appears to be unique in Australia. The same research has shown that harvesting of post-pueruli would have little impact on the commercial fishery and that there are ways of compensating the commercial catch to make post-pueruli removal biologically neutral. There is commercial interest in ongrowing western rock lobster post-pueruli to a marketable size, but basic data have yet to be obtained on growth and survival rates at different stocking densities. This project will provide the biological information (growth rates, food consumption etc) to assist potential investors in being able to assess the economic potential of this form of aquaculture. It should be noted that this proposed research will be equally relevant should it become possible in the future to produce pueruli by aquaculture, rather than by harvesting wild caught pureuli and post-pureuli.