Panulirus argus

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Panulirus argus, the Caribbean spiny lobster, lives on reefs and in mangrove swamps in the western Atlantic. It has a long, spiny body with two large horn-like spines above the eyestalks. Colors range from olive-green to brown, with yellowish spots on the carapace and several on the abdomen. It has very long antennae and legs that are blue and yellow. It can grow up to about 60 cm, but most individuals are around 20 cm long. Females mature when their carapace is about 54–80 mm long.

Like other spiny lobsters, P. argus hatches from eggs carried by the female for about four weeks and starts life as free-swimming larvae called phyllosoma. After about a year, the larvae settle in algae, seagrass beds, or mangrove roots. They molt several times as they grow and eventually move to coral reefs, living in holes and crevices.

Their diet includes mollusks, chitons, other crustaceans, worms, sea urchins, detritus, vegetation, and dead animals and fish. They are mainly active at night. They are prey for skates, nurse sharks, octopuses, snappers, and groupers. They are notable for being part of a fishery supported by chemosynthetic food chains, meaning their energy comes from prey-based sources rather than plants.

P. argus is found from Brazil to the southeastern United States, including the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda, up to about 100 meters deep. They favor habitats with cover, such as reefs, sponges, bridge pilings, piers, and mangrove roots.

They are a popular seafood and an important export in the Bahamas. In Florida, there is a seasonal limit (usually August to March) to protect breeding, plus a pre-season for divers. Divers commonly catch them by hand or net, sometimes by tickling them from their dens; in the Caribbean and Bahamas they are often speared or gigged, while Bermuda requires free-diving with a noose in designated areas. Commercial fisheries use lobster traps baited with dead fish or chicken necks. Other names for the species include spiny lobster, Bermuda spiny lobster, Florida spiny lobster, and West Indian langouste.