The Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, is a common inhabitant of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve (PHMR) but, unfortunately, numbers have declined in recent years. Spiny lobsters get their name from the small spines that cover their shells and protect them from predators such as octopuses, turtles, nassau groupers, and sharks. Unlike their European and American relatives, spiny lobsters lack the large pinching claws used for catching prey. Instead, they use chemical sensors and a complex nervous system to detect prey. Spiny lobsters inhabit coral reef areas and hide in protective holes, crevices, and recesses during the day. At night, they come out into the open to forage, feeding upon slow-moving animals such as snails, clams, mussels, small sea urchins, small crabs, shrimps and worms.
Spiny lobsters are an important commercial species in Belize. To help protect the population numbers, there is a closed season from February 15th to June 14th every year.
At this time, it is illegal to catch spiny lobsters throughout Belize. Spiny lobsters mate between March and June and the closed season is in place to ensure that mating occurs. Females typically lay approximately 200,000 to 300,000 eggs (but on average only 1 or 2 will survive to adulthood) which are bright orange in colour and attach to hook-like hairs on the small legs beneath her tail. Eggs hatch after approximately 3 weeks into larvae which live in the water column and are transported by oceanic currents. During this phase they can grow from 2mm to 34mm in length and after 6 to 12 months they begin their migration back to near shore areas where they settle in algae and seagrass beds. Spiny lobsters reach maturity at around 3 years of age when they migrate to the reef where they spend the rest of their adult life and begin to reproduce.
If you are snorkeling or diving in PHMR in the next few months, keep your eyes open for spiny lobsters--you may see a female carrying her bright orange eggs or, if you are really lucky, you may spot a small juvenile lobster in the seagrass. In order to help protect the population of spiny lobsters in PHMR, there are a few rules you can follow. Please remember: don’t take lobsters during the closed season, don’t take undersized lobsters (less than 3inch cape length), and don’t take females bearing eggs. If you would like more information about spiny lobsters please call the TIDE offices or contact us by email or phone.
