Species: Spiny Lobster
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum:Crustacea Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Summary- Unlike other lobsters, the Spiny Lobster has two thick
antennae and no claws. Also, it has a thin tail so to some people, it’s not a
true lobster, but many think that it is a true lobster. Around the Florida Keys
and Kelp Forest of California, they are very abundant. You can find them under
jetting rocks and in cervices in coral and kelp. As their name says, there are
numerous sharp spikes running down the entire length of its body. The carapace of
this lobster is also extra thick for extra defense against predators like Nurse
Sharks, which can crack lobster shells. To escape the predators, lobsters will flex
their tail hard and propel backwards at a top speed of 15 mph. For lobster
hunters, the tail and the meat under the carapace are what they are after. In
the Keys, you are only allowed to take 8-10 lobster, and their carapace must be
over 3 inches long, and it can’t be a female with eggs under her. Finally,
before they become a full-grown lobster, this crustacean must go through it’s
life cycle. First, it floats for 5 days along with the plankton, then descends
to the benthic zone the size of a small crayfish for a few years, and finally
becomes a powerful crustacean. This is the story, biology, and summary of one
of the biggest crustaceans on the planet, land and sea.
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