#panulirus interruptus

[decapod-of-the-day]

Decapod of the day: Panulirus interruptus | California Spiny Lobster

(source)

[fungusqueen]

California Spiny Lobsters (Panulirus interruptus) in shallow water at Moss Cove in Laguna Beach. My friend saw these around the corner before I did and said she thought she needed glasses because she couldn't believe she was looking at lobsters. We crawled across the rocks as close as we could and I even waded into the water to confirm they were lobsters. It's typical to find lobster molts on the beach, but we had never seen living lobsters especially in shallow waters.

From wikipedia:

"California spiny lobsters are nocturnal, hiding in crevices during the day, with only the tips of their long antennae showing, as a means of avoiding predators. Towards dawn, the spiny lobsters form aggregations, which they maintain until dusk. At night, they emerge and feed on sea urchins, clams, mussels and worms. This activity is important in limiting sea urchin populations, and so maintaining healthy seabed communities."

"There is an annual migration, in which spiny lobsters enter shallower water in spring and summer, and head out to deeper water in fall and winter, reaching depths as great as 240 ft (73 m), perhaps to avoid the effects of winter storms."

[snototter]

A California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) in Channel Islands National Park, California, USA

by Water Planet

[animalids]

California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus)

Photo by David R. Andrew

[fishdiver]