Panulirus argus
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| Panulirus argus | ||||||||||||||||
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| Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804) |
Panulirus argus is a species of spiny lobster that lives on reefs and in mangrove swamps in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is known as the Caribbean spiny lobster, Florida spiny lobster or West Indies spiny lobster and is also referred to as "lagostino", "crawfish", "crayfish" or "bug." They have long, cylindrical bodies covered with spines. Two large spines form forward-pointing "horns" right above each eyestalk. They are generally olive greenish or brown, but can be tan to mahogany. There is a scattering of yellowish to cream-colored spots on the carapace and larger (usually four to six) yellow to cream-colored spots on the abdomen. They have no claws (pincers). The first pair of antennae are slender, black or dark brown and briamous. The second pair of antennae are longer than the body, and covered with forward pointing spines. The bases of the second antennae are thick, can have a bluish tinge, and are likewise covered with rows of spines. They are adept at using the larger antennae like rapiers for defense[citation needed]. The legs are usually striped longitudinally with blue and yellow and terminate in a single spine-like point. The somites of the abdomen are smooth and have a shallow furrow across the middle. Each has pairs of swimmerets on the underside that are yellow and black. The lobes of the tail are colored similarly to the swimmerets.
They are found at depths of up to 90 m from Brazil to North Carolina,including the entire Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, the Bahamas, Bermuda, eastern South America with occasional reports from West Africa. Although they range throughout the entire Gulf of Mexico, in the northern portions of the Gulf they generally are only found at depths of 33 m and greater due to the seasonal variation in the water temperature. Around the southern portion of the Florida peninsula and throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean, they are found in shallower water. They generally prefer habitat with some sort of cover and can be found around coral reefs, artificial reefs, sponges, bridge pilings, wooden bridge bumpers, piers, and under the prop roots of mangroves. They are nocturnal, taking to cover during the day. They serve as prey for octopuses, nurse sharks, and stingrays, although their greatest predator is man. Although they generally prefer to remain near cover, at times groups of hundreds will line up and march across the floor of some of the waters of southern Florida's Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, and Florida Bay. The purpose of these "migrations" is not known, but they generally occur in the fall and may be in response to falling temperatures in the shallows.
P. argus may reach up to 60 cm (24 in) long, but typically around 20 cm (8 in), and is fished throughout its range [1]. It is the number one food export of the Bahamas, and rivals the shrimp industry in the Florida Keys in commercial value. They are eagerly sought by both commercial lobstermen and sport divers in South Florida, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas. In Florida, there is a season where the spiny lobster may be taken, usually from the beginning of August to the end of January. A special "sport diver season" a few days before the start of the regular lobster season gives recreational divers a "head start" in catching them. Divers catch them by gloved hand, often "tickling" them out of their dens with a dowl or small stick. In the Bahamas and Caribbean, they are often also speared or gigged (Florida game regulations prohibit taking them by these methods). Commercially, they are caught with lobster traps similar to those used by lobster fishermen in New England. The traps are usually baited with dead fish or chicken necks.
Like most decapods, the Florida spiny lobster hatches from eggs carried externally by the female. They begin life as a free-swimming, microscopic larvae. After undergoing several molts, they settle to the sea floor and live in holes or crevices in the reef or between mangrove roots. As they grow, they molt or shed their exoskeleton to make room for their larger bodies. As in other decapods, after molting, the new exoskleton or shell is soft, and has to harden. During this time, the lobster is highly vulnerable to predation and as a result they are usually very retiring until the new exoskleton hardens fully. They consume detritus, vegetable material, and dead animals and fish they find on the bottom.
