Spiny Lobster

ID points

• No large claws, just two thick spiny antennae
• Carapace covered with forward-pointing spines
• Hides in reef holes by day, showing only its long antennae

Basics

Family

Palinuridae

Length

20–45 cm

Depth

1-50 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic

Distribution

Tropical and subtropical coral and rocky reefs worldwide

Habitat

Coral and rocky reefs

Diet

Molluscs, carrion

Easily confused with

Brittle StarFive slender arms clearly set off from the central discFlatheadHead extremely flat and broad, with the eyes on topHermit CrabSoft abdomen tucked into a borrowed empty snail shell

Fun fact

Unlike a true lobster, the Spiny Lobster has no large claws and relies on a pair of extremely long spiny antennae to fend off predators. Each autumn it migrates by night in a queue, head to tail in single file, sometimes dozens of animals long, which cuts drag for those behind. Each one keeps contact with the animal ahead using its antennae, and they navigate by sensing the magnetic field of the Earth.