Marine life  /  Lobsters & squat lobsters
13 of 1316 species
Group

Lobsters & squat lobsters

Spiny lobsters, slipper lobsters and the squat lobsters, which are not lobsters at all. The large ones are in crevices by day; the small ones are on a host.

Species
13
Depth
1–40 m
Rarity range
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a weekto 4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Night only
10
Can hurt a diver
3
Destinations
12

The spiny lobsters are in a hole in the reef through the day with only the antennae showing, and leave it at night to feed. The slipper lobsters are flattened, hold to the underside of ledges, and are easy to pass over.

The squat lobsters are the ones most divers photograph. The hairy squat lobster lives in the folds of barrel sponges, Gardiner's squat lobster on the same sponges in a different colour, and the crinoid squat lobster in the arms of a feather star, coloured to match whichever feather star it is in.

13 species

Photographed first, then commonest
Crinoid squat lobster, Allogalathea elegans
Crinoid squat lobster
Allogalathea elegans
Feather stars · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a weekin Lembeh Strait
Hairy squat lobster, Lauriea siagiani
Hairy squat lobster
Lauriea siagiani
Barrel sponges · 10–35 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a weekin Lembeh Strait

The other 11, written up but not yet photographed

Every one has a page. They are shown as a list rather than as pictures because nothing has been photographed or logged for them yet, and a species with nothing behind it should not sit in front of one that has.

Where they are recorded

How many of the 13 carry a record at each destination. A species usually carries several, so these do not add up to 13.

Lembeh Strait 7 Anilao 4 Dauin & Dumaguete 4 Bali 4 Papua New Guinea 4 Galapagos Islands 3 Australia 3 Islas Revillagigedo 2 Cocos Island 1 Florida 1 Bahamas 1 Cayman Islands 1

The other groups

Anemonefish 11 Angelfish 25 Batfish 3 Blennies 26 Butterflyfish 35 Cardinalfish 13 Damselfish 32 Dottybacks 5 Dragonets 5 Eels & garden eels 18 Flatfish 8 Frogfish & anglers 26 Goatfish 8 Gobies & dartfish 29 Groupers & anthias 42 Hawkfish 5 Jacks & open-water fish 29 Jawfish 4 Lizardfish & flatheads 10 Morays 26 Morwongs & trumpeters 4 Parrotfish 16 Pufferfish & boxfish 23 Rabbitfish 5 Scorpionfish & lionfish 47 Seahorses & pipefish 53 Shrimpgobies 17 Snappers, breams & sweetlips 39 Squirrelfish & soldierfish 9 Surgeonfish & unicornfish 26 Triggerfish & filefish 25 Trumpetfish & cornetfish 4 Wrasses 56 Other fish 46 Sharks & rays 63 Turtles, sea snakes & crocodiles 11 Marine mammals & birds 10 Cephalopods 36 Nudibranchs & sea slugs 137 Sea snails & shells 26 Shrimps 38 Mantis shrimps 5 Crabs 45 Hermit crabs 10 Isopods & parasitic crustaceans 5 Amphipods 2 Sea stars 18 Brittle stars & basket stars 7 Feather stars 2 Sea urchins 23 Sea cucumbers 12 Worms 11 Flatworms 3 Jellyfish & stinging drifters 10 Anemones & zoanthids 12 Corals & sponges 29 Sea squirts 4 Blackwater & plankton 52 Other invertebrates 2

All 1316 species in one index, with filters for destination, rarity and hazard.

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