About Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804)
Panulirus argus, commonly known as the Caribbean spiny lobster, is a species of spiny lobster that inhabits reefs and mangrove swamps in the western Atlantic Ocean. This species can be found at depths reaching up to 100 meters (330 feet), with its geographic range extending from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil north to Beaufort, North Carolina. Its range includes the Caribbean Sea, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, and there are occasional reports of individuals being found off West Africa. While Caribbean spiny lobsters occur throughout the entire Gulf of Mexico, they are generally only found at depths of 33 meters (108 feet) or deeper in the northern parts of the Gulf, due to seasonal changes in water temperature. In the southern region of the Florida peninsula, and across the Bahamas and Caribbean, this species is found in shallower water. Caribbean spiny lobsters generally prefer habitats that provide some form of cover, and can be found around coral reefs, artificial reefs, sponges, bridge pilings, wooden bridge bumpers, and piers, as well as under the prop roots of mangroves.
