About Panulirus marginatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)
Panulirus marginatus can reach a total body length of about 40 centimeters, with a carapace length of around 12 centimeters. It has a protective exoskeleton that encases its body and shields it from predators. This exoskeleton is shed periodically as the lobster grows and ages. Shortly after molting, the lobster is more vulnerable to danger, so it retreats deep into hiding to stay safe until its carapace hardens again. Like other spiny lobsters, P. marginatus does not have the large claws found in many other lobster species. P. marginatus is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, which is reflected in its common name, Hawaiian spiny lobster. Its range extends across the Hawaiian Islands to the Pearl and Hermes Atoll, and it has also been recorded around Laysan Island. It typically inhabits shallow warm waters at depths up to 62 meters, where water temperatures range between 23 and 24°C (73.4 to 75.2°F). It is a nocturnal species, and spends daylight hours hiding in protected spaces under rocks and within crevices.
