''Panulirus polyphagus'', the mud spiny lobster, is a species of

crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...

that lives on shallow rocky

reefs A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition of sand or wave eros ...

and muddy substrates in the tropical

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

region. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

has assessed its conservation status as being of "

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

Description

''Panulirus polyphagus'' grows to a length of about . The antennal plate bears two large spines and there are no transverse grooves on the abdominal segments. Distinctive colour features by which this species can be distinguished from other spiny lobsters include a greenish-grey background colour and a thin white band near the hind edge of each segment. In Europe, the otherwise similar native species, the north eastern Atlantic spiny crawfish (''Panulirus regius''), has four large spines on the antennal plate, and smooth grooves on the abdominal segments.

Distribution and habitat

''Panulirus polyphagus'' has a wide distribution in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from India and Pakistan, through the Philippines and Indonesia to northwestern Australia and southeastern New Guinea. It is usually found on rocky reefs or on muddy seabeds, often at the mouths of rivers, at depths down to and exceptionally to more than double this depth. This spiny lobster is sometimes imported into Europe and may be found at markets in continental Europe and the United Kingdom.

Status

This species is caught for human consumption. It is harvested in India in the Mumbai region and the northwest between November and March, but seems to be overexploited as catches are declining in size. It is also caught in Indian waters as

bycatch Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juve ...

, especially on muddy substrates. In Thailand there is a commercial fishery with the spiny lobsters being sold in local markets.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6493990 Achelata Edible crustaceans Crustaceans described in 1793