Caribbean Spiny Lobster

Description:

Photo take in a Caribbean reef. 3 minutes of the dive and this really big male lobster came out of his cave. Maybe the oldest I have seen about 70 cm in length whit out the antennas to me is a spot of a life time. Their primary defense are the spines that cover its shell, which help protect them from predators. Caribbean spiny lobsters use a second pair of antennae in sensory perception, which are found folded along side their body when it's not in use. These lobsters have a striped body, brown-gray in color with yellow spots on the segmented tail. They also have compound eyes and can detect orientation, form, light, and color. If startled, these lobsters will kick their large abdominal tails rapidly to swim away backwards to safety.

Habitat:

Found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. This nocturnal species inhabits coral reefs where they hide during the day in crevices under ledges.