The mantis shrimp at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium finally let me take a photo of his tail, but barely. I’m telling you that is one smart critter. He saw me watching him on one side of the tank, so he moved to the other side. Then when I moved to the other side, he had enough… [read more]
What happens if a lobster loses a leg?
About a month ago, my favorite California spiny lobster at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium lost a leg. Early one morning, I went to stare at Tank (my nickname for the massive 14 pound male lobster at Cabrillo) when I realized something was awry. There was a gaping hole where one of his legs should be! Then… [read more]
Video of Caribbean lobster migration
This is a really cool video of the Caribbean lobster migration that I found on YouTube. The Caribbean lobster is also a spiny lobster, similar to my favorite California spiny lobster. And of course, Caribbean spiny lobsters are also fished and are more common in local restaurants than the California spiny lobster. If you ever… [read more]
Better photo of the mantis shrimp
I got lucky and happened to catch the mantis shrimp out of his burrow. This photo gives you a little bit better idea of what he looks like. Check out the royal blue legs, no tights necessary! He’s definitely not shy about checking me out either, but with his “hammer arm,” I guess he doesn’t… [read more]
Meet the mantis shrimp
The wacky and wild eyed mantis shrimp is a crazy critter in many ways. I’ll start with the impressively long scientific name: Hemisquilla ensigera californiensis. A name that rolls right off the tongue, but not one suited for easy recall. There are actually 400 species of mantis shrimp. The one in the photo, the same… [read more]
A lobster’s molting process
Okay, it’s time for more on lobster molting…something I would never want to experience firsthand, except to watch it. I found the section in “The Secret Life of Lobsters” by Trevor Corson on molting, for anyone interested it begins on page 35. So a lobster wears its skeleton on the outside, this is very rigid… [read more]
California spiny lobster sheds its shell
Breaking news…the California spiny lobster at Cabrillo Aquarium molted two weeks ago! Okay, so it’s not breaking news in the truest sense of the term, but it did happen very recently. I would have written about this sooner, but I just found out. If only I had known, I would have loved to watch that…sigh.… [read more]
Meet baby California spiny lobster
What’s this crazy drawing you ask? This is an enlarged depiction of a baby California spiny lobster posted in Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s research laboratory. At the beginning of life, California spiny lobsters spend several months as Phyllosoma larva. The term “phyllosoma” means leaf-like body. At this stage in life, spiny lobsters flow where the ocean… [read more]
Meet the slipper lobster
My obsession with the California spiny lobster has caused me to find all sorts of fascinating facts about lobsters. For starters, there are four main types of lobsters. According to the book Lobsters of the World by Austin B. Williams, there are the most famous clawed lobsters, the spiny or rock lobsters, the slipper lobsters… [read more]
Beware California spiny lobster diners
If you are about to dip a California spiny lobster in butter sauce and serve it to friends, please take time to read a recent alert issued by the California Department of Fish and Game. The release notifies consumers that “elevated levels of domoic acid toxin have been found in the viscera (internal organs) of… [read more]