Relevant Synonyms - Misidentification -  photo: Bella Galil

SHORT DESCRIPTION Carapace subcylindrical, tuberculate, spinose. Supra-orbital spines long, curved. Antennulae flagella longer than segmented peduncule. Antennae longer than body, spinose. Antennular plate bearing two pairs of spines, anterior pair twice as long as posterior. Abdominal segments lacking transverse groove. Walking legs with curved, pointed dactyls. color : upper surface of carapace greenish-grey, spines yellow-orange, tips dark. Front with fine, cream-colored vermicular lines extending to antennal peduncle. Supra-orbital spines violet-brown. Abdominal segments with transverse brown bands medially, extending on fifth segment to posterior border, median band bordered laterally with pale oval spot. Antennulae blue, ringed with cream. Antennular peduncles dark blue with cream vermiculations. Telson, uropods and pleopods brown. Walking legs dark blue with large irregular cream-colored spots. common size : TL up to 50 cm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Anterior pair of spines on antennular plate twice as long as posterior pair; abdominal segments lacking transverse groove; walking legs dark blue with large irregular cream-colored spots. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Solitary or living in pairs, sometimes found in larger groups. habitat : shallow coastal waters, 1-8 m. On sandy and muddy bottoms, near estuaries or coral reefs (IWP).

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 1989 [1988]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea to Fiji. Mediterranean : a single record from Israel (Galil et al., 1989 [1988]). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Known from single record. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Presumably via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS Small-scale fishery in the Indo-West Pacific.

KEY REFERENCES Galil B., Pisanty S., Spanier E., Tom M., 1989. The Indo-Pacific lobster Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius, 1798) (Crustacea: Decapoda): a new Lessepsian migrant to the eastern Mediterranean. Israel Journal of Zoology 35(4): 241-243. Holthuis L.B., 1991. Marine lobsters of the world. FAO Species Catalogue. 13. FAO Fisheries Synopsis, 125: 1-292.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2002 ©ciesm 2002