Thursday, April 5, 2018

Animal Report


Species: Spiny Lobster
Kingdom: Animalia                                                                 
Phylum: Arthropoda                                                     
Subphylum:Crustacea                                                                                                  Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda

Image result for spiny lobsterSummary- 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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