Description

Also known as Coral Crayfish, Ornate Crayfish, Ornate Rock Lobster, Ornate Tropical Lobster, Painted Cray, Painted Crayfish, Tropical Rock Lobster.

Found singly or in small squads, during the day in caves and crevices, out at night foraging for food over sheltered estuaries, lagoons, coral and rocky reefs.
They feed on benthic crustaceans, hard shell molluscs and worms.
Juveniles often found wedged in corals with just the antenna showing.
Length - 50cm
Depth - 1-50m
Widespread Indo-West Pacific

Lobsters live in caves and crevices during the day, often several together, coming out at night to feed.
Sometimes caught in the torches of divers where they scuttle off back into the dark.
They do not have true claws, the soft and flexible tail is used for swimming rapidly backwards, for short distances to get away from danger.
Spiny lobsters are caught in baited lobster pots for gourmet dining. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panulirus_ornatus