Taking a walk on the beach anywhere north of San Luis Obispo? Be on the lookout for Spiny Lobster molts!

California Spiny Lobsters are a well known and loved species in Southern California and Mexico (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_spiny_lobster). They are fished for both recreationally and commercially. They are the largest native lobster on our coast and can be easily recognized by their orangish-red color, bumpy carapace ('shell') and large, long antennae. They can be anywhere from 2 -20+ inches long from head to tail, although for the fishery they are measured from the rear of the eye socket to the end of the carapace and the minimum size for take is 3.25 inches (http://www.getbentsportfishing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16363)
Unlike their cousins from Maine, they do not have claws!

These lobsters are found along the California and Mexican coasts among rocks from 0-90m (0ft -over 300ft). Young lobsters can be found in the intertidal among the surf grass. The well-accepted northern range limit of these magnificent animals is south of the Monterey Bay. They are nocturnal hunters and eat sea urchins, worms mussels and clams. They are eaten by cabezon and other fishes, octopuses and sea otters.

The California spiny lobster is found in parts of the Gulf of California, and along the Pacific coast of the length of the Baja California peninsula, extending as far north as San Luis Obispo Bay, California. There are occasional records from Monterey Bay, but the conventional wisdom is that the water there is too cold for the California spiny lobster to breed, and it is thought that any adult found in Central California arrived as a larva during El Niño years.*

After mating and spawning in the summer months, California Spiny Lobsters shed their exoskeleton or carapace (sometimes called, shell) in order to grow larger. Their carapaces, or 'old shells' often wash up on beaches after they molt.

For the last few years, we have recovered spiny lobster molts and heard reports from volunteers about finding carapaces on beaches in San Francisco and Marin counties. Most of these molts have been found during August, September and October.

We are extremely interested in tracking the potential northward range extension in these animals!

We need your help to record any lobster molts you encounter on the beach or live lobsters you see while diving anywhere in California, but especially north of the Monterey Bay.
If you find molts of pieces of molts on the beach, please take photos and upload them to this project.

If you see live lobsters, please check for eggs and take photographs of both the dorsal (top) and ventral (underside) sides of the animal.

Thanks so much!

* From Wikipedia and
Lipke B. Holthuis (1991). "Panulirus interruptus". FAO Species Catalogue, Volume 13. Marine Lobsters of the World. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Food and Agriculture Organization. pp. 142–143.
Alice Cascorbi (February 10, 2004). "Seafood Watch Seafood Report. Spiny Lobsters, Vol. II. California Spiny Lobster Panulirus interruptus". Monterey Bay Aquarium. http://www.seafoodwatch.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/mba_seafoodwatch_californiaspinylobsterreport.pdf

Posted on August 19, 2014 06:12 PM by rebeccafay rebeccafay

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