Mud spiny lobster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mud spiny lobster |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Family: | Palinuridae |
| Genus: | Panulirus |
| Species: |
P. polyphagus
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| Binomial name | |
| Panulirus polyphagus (Herbst, 1793)
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| Synonyms | |
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The mud spiny lobster (Panulirus polyphagus) is a type of crustacean. It lives in warm, shallow waters. You can find it on rocky reefs or muddy seabeds. This lobster lives in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Experts say it is a species of "least concern". This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
What Does the Mud Spiny Lobster Look Like?
The mud spiny lobster can grow quite large. It can reach about 40 centimeters (16 inches) long. It has two big spines on a plate near its antennae. Its body segments do not have grooves across them.
This lobster has a special look. Its body is greenish-grey. Each body segment has a thin white band near its back edge. These colors help tell it apart from other spiny lobsters. For example, a similar lobster in Europe, the Atlantic spiny crawfish, has four spines on its antennal plate.
Where Do Mud Spiny Lobsters Live?
The mud spiny lobster lives in a large area. This area is called the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Its home stretches from India and Pakistan. It also includes the Philippines, Indonesia, northwestern Australia, and southeastern New Guinea.
You can usually find these lobsters on rocky reefs. They also live on muddy parts of the seabed. They often live near the mouths of rivers. They are found in waters up to 40 meters (130 feet) deep. Sometimes, they can be found even deeper.
Status and Fishing
People catch the mud spiny lobster for food. In India, especially near Mumbai, they are caught from November to March. However, it seems too many are being caught. The amount of lobsters caught is getting smaller.
These lobsters are also caught by accident. This happens when fishing for other sea animals. This is called bycatch. It often happens on muddy seabeds. In Thailand, there is also a business that catches these lobsters. They are sold in local markets for people to eat.
 | Selma Burke |
 | Pauline Powell Burns |
 | Frederick J. Brown |
 | Robert Blackburn |
