Spiny lobsters have a protracted pelagic, oceanic larval phase. The final larval stage metamorphoses into a non-feeding postlarva (puerulus) that actively swims towards the coast to settle in shallow habitats and does not resume feeding until after the molt into the first-stage juvenile. Therefore, the body dimensions and nutritional condition of both settled pueruli and first juveniles are likely to vary over time, potentially playing a crucial role in the recruitment to the benthic population. We compared carapace length (CL), height (CH), and width (CW); total length (TL), and body weight (W) between pueruli and first juveniles of the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, as well as morphometric relationships between both developmental stages. Except for CL, all other dimensions were larger in first juveniles, but more markedly CH and W. The slopes of the CH vs CL, CW vs CL, and W vs CL regressions differed significantly between stages, and all log-transformed relationships showed isometry in both stages, except for the CH vs CL relationship, which showed positive allometry. These results reflect a morphological change from the flatter, more streamlined body of the puerulus, to the heavier, more cylindrical body of the juvenile. We also analyzed seasonal variations in CL, W, the W/CL index (a morphometric condition index), and a modified W/CL index (i.e. after controlling for a significant effect of CL) of both stages using individuals monthly collected over 12 consecutive seasons (Autumn 2010–Summer 2013). In both stages, all three variables exhibited significant seasonal variation. For pueruli, the modified W/CL index differed from average in only two seasons, winter 2011 (higher) and summer 2013 (lower), but showed great within-season variation (larger coefficients of variation, CV), potentially reflecting variability in nutritional condition of larvae prior to metamorphosis and in the distances swum by individual pueruli to the settlement habitats. For first juveniles, the modified W/CL index was higher than average in winter and spring 2011, and lower in autumn 2011 and winter 2012, but showed less within season variation (smaller CVs), suggesting a combination of carry-over effects of puerulus condition and effects of local conditions (e.g., food availability and predation risk). These findings warrant further investigation into factors potentially decoupling settlement from recruitment processes.

For spiny lobsters (Palinuridae), the co‐occurrence of final‐stage larvae (phyllosomata) and postlarvae (pueruli) in sampling stations over oceanic waters is indicative of metamorphosis zones, some of which have been found in boundary currents. We hypothesized that metamorphosis of Panulirus argus and P. guttatus off the Mexican Caribbean coast, which has a very narrow shelf, occurs in the swift Yucatan Current (YC). During two cruises conducted in autumn 2012 and spring 2013, a mid‐water trawl and a neuston net were simultaneously towed in night samplings along transects up to ~ 100 km across the YC. Hydrographic and current fields were derived from Conductivity, Temperature and Depth, and altimetry data. Metamorphosis occurred mainly within the YC core. However, velocity and distance to the coast of the YC varied with cruise, and features that may favor retention (a persistent coastal eddy and a countercurrent) were detected. Despite differences in size and condition of pueruli between cruises, their energy stores did not appear to decline during the shoreward migration, suggesting that metamorphosing within strong boundary currents may increase the chances of pueruli arriving more quickly to a shore. Based on previously reported current features and swimming speeds, pueruli metamorphosing up to 12 km offshore are more likely to reach the Mexican Caribbean coast without much loss of energetic reserves. This could also occur for some pueruli metamorphosing up to 30 km offshore if encountering the features favoring retention. In contrast, pueruli metamorphosing > 30 km offshore are more likely to be carried into the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere.