Panulirus ornatus, the Ornate Spiny Lobster, has a robust, cylindrical body. Its carapace is blue-green, marked by distinct stripes and spots across its body and legs. Two long antennae, thick and spiny, are typically banded with white and dark brown or black. This large marine crustacean averages 35 centimetres (14 inches) in length, with individuals reaching up to 50 centimetres (20 inches). It inhabits shallow waters, from 1 to 50 metres (3 to 164 feet) deep, and is known to have migrated as a Lessepsian species from the 🌊 Red Sea into the Mediterranean.
The Ornate Spiny Lobster is primarily nocturnal and benthic, seeking shelter in rock crevices, under ledges, and among coral formations on reef slopes and rocky bottoms during the day. At night, it emerges to forage for benthic invertebrates, feeding mainly on bivalves and gastropods.
Reproduction involves complex mating behaviours that rely on olfactory and tactile cues. Females can produce up to three broods annually, with the size of each brood decreasing sequentially. Breeding adults are typically three years old and experience high post-breeding mortality. Larvae mature into adults over 1-2 years. The breeding season generally occurs from November to March or April, during which male and female lobsters may segregate by water depth, with males occupying shallower waters.
- legs boldly ringed dark and pale, like a wasp
- greenish carapace with large pale spots on the abdomen
- very long antennae, no claws
- length up to 50 cm
Why it's threatened
Threat classification from the IUCN Red List.
