Everything about The California Spiny Lobster totally explained
The
California spiny lobster is a species of
spiny lobster found from the southern tip of the
Baja California Peninsula to
Monterey Bay,
California.
Distribution
They are generally found at very shallow depths near the coastline or near offshore islands. They
migrate in order to mate and to give birth to their young. During the spring, California spiny lobster travel to shallow waters and then move to deeper waters in the fall. In December, they often move offshore to waters as deep as 35
m (110
feet). By late January, the lobsters generally move back up to depths between 4 and 12m (15 and 45feet) of water.
The California spiny lobster is generally
nocturnal; during the day, these spiny lobsters can be found in hiding places such as small holes and cracks, or hidden in grass with other lobsters, but at night, they tend to hunt singly.
Ecology
Spiny lobsters are scavengers that mainly eat
sessile or slow-moving animals, such as
snails,
sea urchins,
clams,
sponges,
kelp,
worms,
mussels,
scallops,
barnacles, and fish. California spiny lobsters are a vital part of the California coast habitat because they keep the purple and red
sea urchin population under control. The jaws of the California spiny lobster are extremely strong, and they're capable of crushing shells and bones of other animals.
Predators of the California spiny lobster include
giant sea bass,
kelp bass,
California sheephead,
California scorpionfish,
rockfishes,
octopus, California
moray eels,
sea otters,
cabezon,
horn sharks,
leopard sharks, other lobsters, and humans.
Reproduction
Mating takes place between January and April, with the
ventral sides of the male and female animal against each other, during which a
sperm packet is transferred from the male to the female. When the female spiny lobster is ready, she'll scratch open the sperm packet with specialized
claws while simultaneously releasing her
eggs. Once the sperm have
fertilized the eggs, that'll stick to the
pleopods (swimmerets) and stay there until hatched. A newly matured female will produce about 100,000 eggs while an older and larger female will make nearly 1,000,000. When the female spiny lobster is ready to release the fertilized eggs she goes to shallower, warmer water, usually in May or June. The eggs are bright red when first fertilized, but become dark brown after about ten weeks.
The eggs hatch into
Phyllosoma larvae, which look quite unlike the adult, and are free-floating creatures with very little mobility or defence. After about six to nine months, when the larva has molted 12 times, it'll reach the
puerulus (from the
Latin meaning child) stage. This looks like a small lobster with very large antennae. The
puerulus moves very close to shore where it molts into a juvenile spiny lobster.
Back in the days before divers went down to pick them by hand, spiny lobsters often grew to be 150 years old and over 1 m (3
ft) long. These giant spiny lobsters were too big to fit into any traps, and had very few predators. Most spiny lobsters now grow to the age of five to seven years before being caught. The largest on record was 16 pounds, 1 ounce, caught at Catalina Island in 1968 by Jim Watt on Scuba gear, according to the California Department of Fish and Game records. .
Anatomy
One of the most noticeable features of the spiny lobster is the two large
antennae. The antennae are longer than the body, and they're used to sense any movement in front of them. Spiny lobsters also have smaller antennae called
antennules, which are used to sense food and predators.
Although they lack the large claws (
chelae) of true
lobsters, one protection that these spiny lobsters have is the abundance of
spines on their backs. The two largest spines located over their eyes are known colloquially as the
horns. In the event of danger, the
tail fan is used to propel the animal backwards (the
caridoid escape reaction).
Gastronomy
The spiny lobster, being nocturnal, is most easily gathered by walking through shallows at night, using a carried light. This is aided in its southern range by the warm waters present in bay shallows. Although not respected in the restaurant trade as much as the clawed lobster, it's known worldwide as "
langusta" and its substantial tail muscles are similar in taste and texture to its clawed cold–water relative. Preparation by cooking is similar to lobster or to
crayfish
As with other
shellfish, the eating of this animal is restricted by some religions particularly
Jewish dietary law, and some interpretations of
Islamic dietary laws.
Further Information
Get more info on 'California Spiny Lobster'.
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