Coastal Aquaculture and Mariculture

Unit 6- Crustaceans

6.4.1. Distribution and species composition
Distribution
P. polyphagus is normally found in muddy substrates and sometimes on rocky bottoms whereas P. homarus and P. ornatus inhabit rocky and reef areas. Berried females of P. homarus are normally observed in inshore areas.
Species composition
Lobster fauna in India are represented by 20 species that include 14 species of littoral and 6 species of deep sea lobsters. However, only four species of littoral such as Panulirus polyphagus, P. homarus, P. ornatus and P. versicolor and one species of deep sea lobster, Thenus orientalis alone contribute to commercial fishery. In the northwest coast, lobster fishery is mainly supported by the spiny lobster, Panulirus polyphagus (Mud spiny lobster) and the slipper lobster, Thenus orientalis (Shovel-nosed lobster) which inhabit at 20-50 m depth. The shallow water P. homarus (scalloped spiny lobster) occupying 1-10m depth range is the most dominant species along the southwest coast. The species such as P. ornatus (Ornate spiny lobster), P. homarus and T. orientalis support the lobster fishery on the southeast coast. Small quantities of P. versicolor are also landed along the Trivandrum and Chennai coasts. P. penicillatus and P. longipes are the two other species, which are not important from the fishery point of view. Adult P. ornatus inhabits relatively deeper areas (40 -50 m). The spiny lobster Puerulus sewelli occupy the upper continental slope between 175 - 200 m depth off the southwest and southeast coasts. In these regions, they are caught along with deep sea prawns by trawlers. A spiny lobster species, Linupurus somniosus has been reported from the Andaman Sea. Similarly, a new species of seyllarid, Scyllarus tutiensis was reported from Gulf of Mannar region.