Although not a true lobster, the misnamed Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) is really a member of the crayfish family. It is sometimes called Rock Lobster or Marine Crayfish, and is considered to be a delicacy.
Commonly referred to as the Florida Spiny Lobster, the Caribbean Spiny Lobster inhabits tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Spiny lobsters get their name from the forward-pointing spines that cover their bodies to help protect them from predators. They vary in color from almost white to dark red-orange. Two large, cream-colored spots on the top of the second segment of the tail make spiny lobsters easy to identify. They have long antennae over their eyes that they wave to scare off predators and smaller antennae-like structures called antennules that sense movement and detect chemicals in the water.
Adult Spiny Lobsters make their homes in the protected crevices and caverns of coral reefs, sponge flats and other hard-bottomed areas. Lobsters stay in their dens during daylight hours to avoid predators, emerging a couple of hours after dark to forage for food. The lobsters return to the safety of their dens several hours before sunrise. During its lifetime, the Spiny Lobster will eat a wide variety of foods consisting of clams, mussels, crabs, and worms, and occasionally plants. There is evidence that lobsters have cannibalistic tendencies, feeding on other lobsters if given the chance. Just as the lobster will eat up to 100 different kinds of animals, there are at least as many animals that feed on lobster. Humans, naturally, are the primary consumers of lobster, followed by cod, flounder, eels, crabs, and seals.
The Spiny Lobster makes a remarkable annual migration in which large numbers of lobster move single file across the sea floor from shallow to deep water. Although the purpose of the migration is poorly understood, it is believed to be involved with reproduction and occurs just before spawning season. When spring comes, the adult females spawn thousand of eggs in the deep sea waters.
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When the Spiny Lobster hatches, it faces an uphill battle; of the 10,000 eggs that a female might release, only about 1% will survive past the first four weeks of life. The young lobster must go through four stages in the first month with the goal of becoming a competent swimmer. At this time, the young lobster begins the mission of finding a safe place on the bottom of the ocean on which to settle. While it matures, the features of the lobster become more distinct, including, a spine-studded shell, long antennae, and the absence of claws.
An interesting physical characteristic that the Spiny Lobster shares with all species of lobsters is, that it sheds (molts) its shell up to 25 times in the first five years of life. Once the lobster becomes an adult, the molting event decreases to once a year. Once at maturity a lobsters new shell will last about a year and throughout its life it needs quite a few of them. One of the most amazing traits of this creature is its lifespan. A single Spiny Lobster can live 50 plus years! Have you ever met a meal that was older than you?!
On Costa Maya you can find many places that will prepare you a delicious lobster dinner, but remember you can always catch your own! For a list of exotic lobster recipes please E-mail our Senior Correspondence Administrator, Yury Diana Di Pasquale at oceanfront@transcaribbeantrust.com. Don’t forget to mention the Costa Maya Times article on Lobsters!
Andrew Synyshyn
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