Spiny lobster
Marine crustaceans known for spiny antennae and lack of claws.
Spiny lobsters, also known as langustas, langoustes, or rock lobsters, are marine decapod crustaceans belonging to the family Palinuridae. They are found in almost all warm seas, particularly in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Australasia, and South Africa, and are an economically significant food source, being the biggest food export of the Bahamas.
- Scientific classification
- Family Palinuridae, clade Reptantia, infraorder Achelata
- Number of extant genera
- 12
- Number of living species
- Around 60
- Typical adult size
- A few centimetres to 30–40 cm (12–16 in); rarely up to 60 cm (24 in)
- Distinguishing features
- Very long, thick, spiny antennae; lack of claws on first four pairs of walking legs; specialized larval phase called phyllosoma
- Sound production
- Rasping sound made by rubbing plectrum against a file on antennae
Lore & Background
Spiny lobsters live in crevices of rocks and coral reefs, venturing out at night to eat snails, clams, sea-hares, crabs, or sea urchins. They sometimes migrate in long files of more than 50 lobsters, navigating using smell, taste, and the Earth's magnetic field. They produce a loud screech by rubbing their antennae against a smooth part of the exoskeleton to deter predators. Healthy lobsters move away from infected ones.
Reader's Guide
Spiny lobsters are a significant food source, especially in the Bahamas, where they are the biggest food export. Their tail meat is described as sweet, delicate, and low in fat, often used in raw preparations like sashimi or light Cantonese steaming, contrasting with the richer, clawed Homarus lobsters. Their unique sound-producing mechanism, using frictional vibrations from a plectrum and file, is unique in the animal kingdom and works even after molting. The family includes 12 extant genera and around 60 living species, with the furry lobsters (Palinurellus) now usually considered members of Palinuridae rather than a separate family.
Did You Know?
- Spiny lobsters navigate using the Earth's magnetic field.
- They produce a rasping sound by rubbing the plectrum at the base of their antennae against a file.
- The name 'Palinurus' derives from the small Italian port of Palinuro, named for a helmsman in Virgil's Æneid.
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