Spiny lobster diet
P. The somites of the abdomen are smooth and have a shallow furrow across the middle. The lobes of the tail are colored similarly to the swimmerets. Home: Research: Saltwater: Crustaceans - Marine Arthropods: Lobster. The legs are usually striped longitudinally with blue and yellow and terminate in a single spine-like point. They vary in color from almost white to dark red-orange. Two large, cream-colored spots on the top of the second segment of the tail make spiny lobsters easy to identify. The lobsters spawn from March through August and female lobsters carry the bright orange eggs on their undersides until they turn brown and hatch. 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. argus have long, cylindrical bodies covered with spines. The first pair of antennae are slender, black or dark brown and biramous. They are eagerly sought by both commercial lobstermen and sport divers in South Florida, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Around the southern portion of the Florida peninsula and throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean, they are found in shallower water. Lobsters stay in their dens during daylight hours to avoid predators, emerging a couple of hours after dark to forage for food. 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. argus is a nocturnal species, taking to cover during the day. As in other decapods, after molting, the new exoskleton or shell is soft, and has to harden.
Adult spiny lobsters make their homes in the protected crevices and caverns of coral reefs, sponge flats, and other hard-bottomed areas. Each has pairs of swimmerets on the underside that are yellow and black. Spiny lobsters get their name from the forward-pointing spines that cover their bodies to help protect them from predators. Larvae can be carried for thousands of miles by currents until they settle in shallow nearshore areas among seagrass and algae beds. The bases of the second antennae are thick, can have a bluish tinge, and are likewise covered with rows of spines. 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. P. Commonly referred to as the Florida spiny lobster, the Caribbean spiny lobster inhabits tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Home: Research: Saltwater: Crustaceans - Marine Arthropods: Lobster. As they begin to mature, spiny lobsters migrate from the nursery areas to offshore reefs. The second pair of antennae are longer than the body, and covered with forward pointing spines. They have long antennae over their eyes that they wave to scare off predators and smaller antennae-like structures called antennules that sense movement and detect chemicals in the water. They are generally olive greenish or brown, but can be tan to mahogany. The lobsters are solitary until they reach the juvenile stage, when they begin to congregate around protective habitat in nearshore areas. Commonly referred to as the Florida spiny lobster, the Caribbean spiny lobster inhabits tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico.
