Lobsters are a family of large marine crustaceans.
Lobsters are widely fished around the world for their meat. They are often hard to catch in large numbers, but their large size can make them a profitable catch. Although the majority of the targeted species are tropical, the majority of the global catch is in temperate waters.
Slipper lobsters are a family (Scyllaridae) of about 90 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda clade Reptantia, found in all warm oceans and seas. They are not true lobsters, but are more closely related to spiny lobsters and furry lobsters. Slipper lobsters are instantly recognisable by their enlarged antennae, which project forward from the head as wide plates. All the species of slipper lobsters are edible, and some, such as the Moreton Bay bug and the Balmain bug are of commercial importance.
Eunephrops bairdii is a species of marine lobster, commonly called the "red lobster", endemic to the Caribbean Sea. It is found off the coasts of Colombia and Panama at depths of 230–360 metres (750–1,180 ft). It reaches a length of up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in), which is equivalent to a carapace length of 4–9 centimetres (1.6–3.5 in), but is apparently too scarce for commercial exploitation.
Panulirus is a genus of spiny lobsters in the family Palinuridae, including those species which have long flagella on their first antennae.
Metanephrops australiensis, commonly known as Australian scampi or the northwest lobster, is a species of lobster. It is found off the north-west coast of Western Australia, ranging from the city of Eucla to Indonesia. It is prolific near Port Hedland.
Metanephrops binghami, the Caribbean lobster or Caribbean lobsterette, is a lobster which inhabits the western Atlantic region: from the Bahamas and southern Florida to French Guiana, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Metanephrops is a genus of lobsters, commonly known as scampi. Important species for fishery include Metanephrops australiensis and Metanephrops challengeri. It differs from other lobsters such as Homarus and Nephrops norvegicus in that its two main claws are of equal size, rather than being differentiated into a crusher and a pincher. There are 18 extant species recognised in the genus:
The Japanese spiny lobster, Panulirus japonicus, is a member of the genus Panulirus of spiny lobsters. It grows up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and lives in the Pacific Ocean around Japan, Taiwan, China, and Korea. P. japonicus is the subject of commercial lobster fishery in Japan. It is a popular item in high-class Japanese cuisine. Serving and preparation methods include sashimi, as a steak, frying, and roasting alive.
Metanephrops boschmai, known as the Bight lobster, Bight scampi or Boschma's scampi, is a species of lobster endemic to Western Australia.
Sagmariasus verreauxi is a species of spiny lobster that lives around northern New Zealand, the Kermadec Islands the Chatham Islands and Australia from Queensland to Tasmania. It is probably the longest decapod crustacean in the world, alongside the American lobster Homarus americanus, growing to lengths of up to 60 centimetres (24 in).
Scyllarides latus, the Mediterranean slipper lobster, is a species of slipper lobster found in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is edible and highly regarded as food, but is now rare over much of its range due to overfishing. Adults may grow to 1 foot (30 cm) long, are camouflaged, and have no claws. They are nocturnal, emerging from caves and other shelters during the night to feed on molluscs. As well as being eaten by humans, S. latus is also preyed upon by a variety of bony fish. Its closest relative is S. herklotsii, which occurs off the Atlantic coast of West Africa; other species of Scyllarides occur in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. The larvae and young animals are largely unknown.
Scyllarides is a genus of slipper lobsters.
Parribacus japonicus, the Japanese mitten lobster, is a species of slipper lobster. The Japanese name zōri-ebi (ゾウリエビ) refers to the zōri, a type of Japanese sandal, which it resembles in appearance. It lives in shallow water, up to 20 metres (66 ft) deep, around the southern coasts of Japan, from Maizuru and Tokyo Bay to the Ryūkyū Islands. It grows up to 16 centimetres (6.3 in) in total length, and is occasionally fished and sold for its meat.
Eunephrops manningi, the banded lobster, is a species of lobster found in the Florida Straits and off the coast of Anguilla. It was named in 1974 by Lipke Holthuis after his good friend Raymond B. Manning. It grows to a length of 15 centimetres (6 in) and lives at depths of 450–550 metres (1,480–1,800 ft). While it is large enough to be a target for commercial lobster fishing, this is precluded by its rarity, only three specimens having ever been collected. It can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the lack of post-cervical spines on the carapace, and by the presence of only transverse grooves on the body segments of the abdomen.
Scyllarus is a genus of slipper lobsters from the Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Until 2002, the genus included far more species, but these are now placed in other genera. The following species remain in Scyllarus:
Arctides guineensis is a species of slipper lobster which lives in the Bermuda Triangle. It is known in Bermuda as the small Spanish lobster, a name which is also favoured by the FAO.
Scyllarides aequinoctialis is a species of slipper lobster that lives in the western Atlantic Ocean from South Carolina to São Paulo State, Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Bermuda. Its common name is Spanish slipper lobster. It grows up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long, with a carapace 12 cm (4.7 in) long. S. aequinoctialis is the type species of the genus Scyllarides, and the first species of slipper lobster to be described from the Western Atlantic.
Eunephrops cadenasi, sometimes called the sculptured lobster, is a species of lobster found in the Caribbean.
Panulirus ornatus is a large edible spiny lobster with 11 larval stages that has been successfully bred in captivity.
