Spiny lobster
Spiny lobsters, also known as rock lobsters are a family (Palinuridae) of about 45 species of crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia. Spiny lobsters are also called crayfish, sea crayfish or crawfish.
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| Panulirus interruptus | |
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| Family: | Palinuridae Latreille, 1802
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Although they superficially resemble true lobsters in terms of overall shape, and that they also have a hard carapace and exoskeleton, the two groups are not closely related. Spiny lobsters can be easily distinguished from true lobsters by their very long, thick, spiny antennae, and by their complete lack of claws (chelae); true lobsters have much smaller antennae and claws on the first three pairs of legs, with the first being particularly enlarged. Like true lobsters, however, spiny lobsters are edible and are an economically significant food source; they are the biggest food export of the Bahamas .[1]
Spiny lobsters are found in almost all warm seas, including the Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea, but are particularly common in Australasia, where they are referred to commonly as crayfish or sea crayfish (Jasus novaehollandiae and Jasus edwardsii), and South Africa (Jasus lalandii). A new species, Palinurus barbarae was described in 2006.
The largest spiny lobster on record was over 1 m (3 ft) long and weighed over 11.8 kg (26 lb).[2]
Spiny lobsters tend to live in crevices of rocks and coral reefs, only occasionally venturing out at night to seek snails, clams, crabs, sea urchins or carrion to eat. Sometimes, they migrate en masse, in long files of lobsters across the sea floor. Potential predators may be deterred from eating spiny lobsters by a loud screech made by the antennae of the spiny lobsters rubbing against a smooth part of the exoskeleton .[3] Spiny lobsters usually exhibit social habit by being together. However recent studies indicate that healthy lobsters move away from infected ones and leaving the diseased lobsters to fend for itself .[4]
The furry lobsters (e.g. Palinurellus) are sometimes separated into a family of their own, the Synaxidae, but are usually considered members of the Palinuridae. The slipper lobsters (Scyllaridae) are their next closest relatives, and these two or three families make up the Achelata. Genera of spiny lobsters include Palinurus and a number of anagrams thereof: Panulirus, Linuparus, etc. (Palinurus was also a helmsman in Virgil's Æneid.)
Panulirus vulgaris
California spiny lobster
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Spiny Lobster Media
Southern rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii, at Southern Encounter Aquarium, Christchurch, New Zealand
Fishing for Panulirus argus in Venezuela
Related pages
References
- ↑ "The 'spiny' focus of fisheries". InternationalReports.net. 2003. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2007-01-21.
- ↑ "California spiny lobster Panulirus interruptus". PBS.
- ↑ John Roach (2004-07-28). Decoding Spiny Lobsters' Violin-Like Screech. National Geographic News. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0728_040728_spinylobsters.html.
- ↑ "Lobsters have innate way to stay healthy, ODU researchers say in Nature article". Old Dominion University News. 2006-05-24. Archived from the original on 2006-09-10. Retrieved 2007-01-21.