FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

1018 Lobsters
Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius, 1798)
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / None.
FAO names: En - Ornate spiny lobster;
Fr - Langouste ornée; Sp - Langosta
ornamentada.
Diagnostic characters: Carapace
rounded and spiny; rostrum absent;
anterior margin bearing irregular-sized
spines other than frontal horns; height
of frontal horns about 2 times the eye
height, without spinules in between.
Antennules with flagella longer than
peduncle; antennular plate at bases of
antennae bearing 2 pairs of wellseparated
principal spines (anterior
pair considerably larger), sometimes
also with several spinules.First4pairs
of legs without pincers. Abdomen
naked and smooth, without transverse
grooves or sunken pubescent
areas. Posterior half of tail fan soft and
flexible. Colour: body greenish with
carapace slightly bluish. Eyes blackbrown.
Frontal horns intricately
banded with yellowish white and
brown markings. Antennal peduncle
bluish with stridulating pad somewhat
pinkish. Antennules and legs
conspicuously ringed with pale
yellow and black. Abdomen covered
with broad transverse dark bands
over middle of each segment and
bearing large pale yellowish spots
near hinges. Pleopods yellowish. Eggs
orange.
Size: Maximum body length about 60 cm, commonly between 20 and 35 cm. Maximum weight over 6 kg.
Probably the largest species of the genus.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Usually occurs at depths from 1 to 10 m, but can be found to a depth of
200 m. In calm areas of coral and rocky reefs or reef slopes, sometimes also found on muddy substrate in
river mouths with fairly turbid water. Lives solitary or in pairs; seasonal mass migrations have been observed
in Torres Strait populations. Actively fished throughout its range, mostly by divers (using hand and spear),
sometimes by hand nets and trawls (formerly a main fishing method in Torres Strait, but now banned). Sold
mostly fresh or frozen in local markets, sometimes exported (as from the Philippines and Australia, live or
tailed). In most parts of the area the catches are not very large but a commercial fishery for this species
has been developed in Papua New Guinea (off the Gulf of Papua) and Australia (off Torres Strait and N.E.
Queensland) since 1966, with an annual catch of about 250 t “tail weight” in 1990. It is reported that traps
are not effective to catch this
species and mass mortality
may occur in breeding
lobsters.
Distribution: Widely distributed
in the Indo-West Pacific
from East Africa to Japan,
Australia, and Fiji. Recently
also reported to enter the
Mediterranean from the Red
Sea.
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