Panulirus femoristriga (Von
This Indo-Pacific spiny lobster has
not been officially recorded from Hawaii, but photographs by Victoria
Martocci taken off Lanai in about 50 ft. leave no doubt that it
is here. Numerous conspicuous white spots on the tail segments easily
distinguish it from the other two Hawaiian spiny lobsters, P.
marginatus and P. penicillatus. At least one other recent
photograph of this species is known from O`ahu, and Pauline Fiene
reports having seen about 5 single individuals at various times
off Maui over the last 17 years. Are these waifs, or is the species
reproducing here? One of the individuals Victoria photographed is
clearly carrying eggs, so perhaps it is reproducing. On the other
hand, it might be possible that a female lobster in the absence
of a male could still produce infertile eggs. Or, conceivably, Victoria's
berried female could have mated with a male of another Hawaiian
species. A common name often used for femoristriga is "Stripe-Leg
Spiny Lobster," but the Hawaiian P. penicillatus also
has striped legs, thus the Australian name "Blue-Spot"
is better for local consumption. There is some question about the
range of the species, but it occurs with certainty in Japan, Taiwan,
Indonesia, Irian Jaya, Vietnam, the Maldive Islands, and the Marquesas
in French Polynesia.
For more photos,
If you see any
of these lobsters in Hawai`i, please let me know and if possible
send photos. Thanks!
UPDATE 9 July
2014 - Matthew Iacchei of the Univ. of Hawaii has confirmed the
ID by means of DNA and will submit a paper later this summer. He
also adds this interesting tidbit: "Just
today someone emailed me a photo of another species that hasn't
been seen in Hawai'i before to my knowledge - Panulirus versicolor."
Blue-Spot Spiny Lobster Victoria
Panulirus versicolor (Latreille,
Tate Marks found the lobster below at a depth
of around 70 feet off Kona in the summer of 2013. Realizing it was
unusual, Tate contacted retired DAR biologist Bill Puleloa, who notified
lobster specialist Matthew Iacchei of the Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa.
Matt identified it as P. versicolor and sent me Tate's photo
(below). This is a big deal! The Painted Spiny Lobster has
never before, to my knowledge, been found in Hawaii, although it is
common and widely-distributed elsewhere in the tropical Indo-Pacific.
Although DNA confirmation for this record is not available, the color
pattern of the species is unmistakeable. Divers and snorkelers, if
you see this lobster in Hawaiian waters please let me know.
of Debelius's Reef Lobster in Hawaii
In May, 2004
I received the following exciting email from Ray Farm of White Bear
3, I was diving off the Kona coast when I found a Debelius' Reef
Lobster. At the time, I did not realize how rare the species is
in Hawaii. However, on identifying it from your book, "Hawai'i's
Sea Creatures", I read that it had only been observed and identified
in Hawaii once back in 1981. Given the very distinctive appearance
of this creature, I am 100% certain of the identification. No, it
was definitely not one of the guard crabs! I see them, the orbicular
velvetfish, and even the occasional harlequin shrimp while nosing
around with my dive light in the coral.
It was at a
dive site known as 'Aquarium'. At least that is the name it is known
as by the personnel at Jack's Diving Locker in Kona. It was in a
small coral head ( approximately 18 to 24 inches in diameter) ,
which I believe was either cauliflower or antler coral. The depth
was between 40 and 55 feet. This specimen was about 2 1/2 inches
long. It's purple claws with golden-orange tips and the red spotted
carapace-abdomen were both very distinctive and eye catching. Too
bad my underwater camera got flooded in Cozumel in February."
The only other recent record I know of was by Linda Marsh of Bubbles
Below Scuba Charters, who found a complete molted exoskeleton
during a night dive a few years ago off the south shore of Kaua`i.
Hawaiian record was made off Makapu`u in 1981 in coral rubble at
a depth of 70 ft. by the late Alex Kerstitch. It was from this specimen
that the species was described by the Dutch crustacean expert Lipke
B. Holthuis in 1983. Because German author/photographer Helmut Debelius
had previously discovered the species off Bali, Holthuis named it
photographs of this lobster can be viewed at Joseph Poupin's website:
MARCH 2005 UPDATE:
Champion critter-hunter Linda Marsh has done it again! She reports
seeing a live Debelius lobster at a site off Kaua`i. She tried to
find it a second time but unfortunately had an inexperienced dive
group with her and never got to the area with the lobster. "I
sure think its a Debelius," she writes. 'Very pale blond with
orange spots and very hairy. Don't have a picture of him yet."
As far as I know, no one has ever photographed this species underwater
in Hawaii before. Go Linda!