The Hawaiian Islands lack true lobsters with distinguishing enlarged pincers on the first pair of legs. Instead, spiny lobsters reside here in our island waters. They are covered with forward-pointing spines on their carapace and antennae for protection. During the day, spiny lobsters inhabit crevices of rocks and coral reefs and are sometimes seen in the dozens. Primarily feeding at night, they roam sandy flats near reefs where they forage for snails, clams, sea-hares, crabs, and sea urchins.
Female lobsters spawn up to four times in one year and produce up to half a million eggs each time! An orange mass of eggs is held under the female’s tail using special appendages called swimmerets. They also circulate oxygen-bearing water around the eggs. Roughly four months later, the eggs hatch and go through larval stages before settling down on the reef.
Vulnerable to fishing, the commercial catch in Hawaii has drastically declined. Now a protected species, regulations have been set by the State of Hawaii and prohibit taking spiny lobsters during May-August. Size regulations have also been implemented to avoid the taking of females with eggs. The lobster size is measured by carapace length, and the minimum legal size is 3 ¼ inches.
Three species of lobsters are found in Hawaiian waters, two of commercial value. The banded spiny lobster is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is typically found at depths of a few feet to 600 feet.
*Due to the constant rotation of animals back to the ocean, the presence of any specific animal cannot be guaranteed.
Did you know?
Lobsters are known in Hawaiian as ula. They were also prized as food and were eaten raw, cooked, or partly decomposed. Lobsters were sometimes substituted for pigs in sacrifices to the gods.
Discover More Maui Ocean Center marine life
Hawaiian Spotted Eagle Ray, Bonnet Ray, Duck Bill Ray
The Hawaiian spotted eagle ray is also known as the bonnet ray, duck bill ray, or spotted duck billed ray, but perhaps no other name than hihimanu describes them so perfectly. This Hawaiian name means “magnificent" or “elegant bird.” With the grace of an eagle, this cartilaginous fish can be found gliding in shallow coastal waters ranging throughout the Hawaiian island chain to at least the Midway Atoll. The maximum span of their “wings," or pectoral fins, is six feet from tip to tip, and their coloration is stunning. White spots adorn a solid black background creating a dramatic topside pattern. Their bellies are a brilliant white with a black, geometric maze pattern on the underside of each wing. Their wing tips can be observed breaking the water’s surface as the prelude to a breathtaking skyward launch, followed by an end-over-end mid-air cartwheel display.
Gray Reef Shark
The gray reef shark is commonly found in coastal regions in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, near reefs neighboring oceanic waters. In Hawai‘i, the gray reef shark is most abundant in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and tends to prefer reefs areas with rugged terrain and strong currents. Gray reef sharks are all gray or tan in coloration with a distinct black margin on the trailing edge of their caudal fin.
Sandbar Shark
Found in all oceans of the world, sandbar sharks are most common in deep coastal waters. This species has been documented in intertidal areas down to about 900 feet in depth. The sandbar shark is light gray or tan in coloration with white on its ventral side. Lacking distinct markings, its tall dorsal fin is a distinguishing characteristic. The maximum length recorded for a sandbar in Hawai‘i is 6.4 feet, while the average is 5 feet.
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