Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Spiny Lobster Panulirus argus
Being both nocturnal and migratory, the spiny lobster has excellent navigational skills. It can establish its position in relation to Earth’s magnetic field and then follow a particular route as well as any homing pigeon. This lobster prefers warm water and so remains in the shallows in summer before migrating in groups to deeper water in winter by walking in single file across the sea floor. It lacks the large claws of the common lobster but is well protected from most predators by the sharp spines that cover its carapace.
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zoom image- Subphylum Crustacea
- Length 24 in (60 cm)
- Habitat Coral reefs in deep water
- Distribution Western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea
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