Reef Stories
Lobsters
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Lobsters, Slipper & Squat Lobsters
Crab Index
Crabs
General
Carrier Crabs
Coral Crabs
Decorator Crabs
Gall Crabs
Land & Sea Crabs
Lobsters
Porcelain Crabs
Round Crabs
Swimming Crabs
Spiny Lobsters and Slipper Lobsters are most commonly found on reefs. They have no claws on any of their first four pairs of legs. Reef Lobsters differ from true lobsters in that they only have claws on the first pair of legs. True lobsters are not found on coral reefs.
Squat lobsters are related to true lobsters but are flattened and have a number of other morphological differences.
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Lobsters
Reef lobsters fall into two main groups. Spiny Lobsters in the genus Panulirus and Slipper Lobsters in the family Scyllaridae.
Young Spiny Lobsters are often seen with their white antennae sticking out of small holes in rocks in the reef. At night they forage and underwater lights show their electric blue bodies and white tails. On reefs rarely visited by fishermen, fairly large groups of adults can be seen under overhangs, protected from hunting fish.
Slipper Lobsters are much flattened and tend to occur singly or in pairs. Their patterning and form is very cryptic, so in spite of the size of the larger species, they are well hidden on the reef.
Squat Lobsters
Squat lobsters on coral reefs tend to be very small and emerge mostly at night. They occur in large numbers and can be seen on the side of stones, on sea pens, soft corals, and in sheltered stony areas. Allogalathea at 2cm long are the largest of the reef dwellers. They are at home in the middle of feather stars. Uroptychus live mostly in soft corals where their cryptic patterning makes them blend into the background. Lauriea siagiani, the Hairy Squat Lobster is at home deep in the crevices on the sides of giant barrel sponges. Mundina live in cracks and small holes in the side of small caves in reefs.
They are related to lobsters, but are flattened and have a number of other morphological differences.
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Lobsters
Lobsters
Reef lobsters fall into two main groups. Spiny Lobsters in the genus Panulirus and Slipper Lobsters in the family Scyllaridae.
Young Spiny Lobsters are often seen with their white antennae sticking out of small holes in rocks in the reef. At night they forage and underwater lights show their electric blue bodies and white tails. On reefs rarely visited by fishermen, fairly large groups of adults can be seen under overhangs, protected from hunting fish.
Slipper Lobsters are much flattened and tend to occur singly or in pairs. Their patterning and form is very cryptic, so in spite of the size of the larger species, they are well hidden on the reef.
Squat Lobsters
Squat Lobsters
Squat lobsters on coral reefs tend to be very small and emerge mostly at night. They occur in large numbers and can be seen on the side of stones, on sea pens, soft corals, and in sheltered stony areas. Allogalathea at 2cm long are the largest of the reef dwellers. They are at home in the middle of feather stars. Uroptychus live mostly in soft corals where their cryptic patterning makes them blend into the background. Lauriea siagiani, the Hairy Squat Lobster is at home deep in the crevices on the sides of giant barrel sponges. Mundina live in cracks and small holes in the side of small caves in reefs.
They are related to lobsters, but are flattened and have a number of other morphological differences.
