The Flaming Reef Lobster, also known as Dwarf Reef Lobster, is a species in the order of the Decapoda and thus belongs to the subphylum of the Crustacea.
Description
Hoplometopus antillensis has a massive, elongated body. Its colouration is red to orange, in some places yellow. Body, arms and legs are patterned with light rings, stripes and dots. In addition, it has fine, white spines on his back and scissors arms. It can reach a maximum length of 20cm.
Habitat and Distribution
The Flaming Reef Lobster lives on rocky ground, in holes, caves or crevices in depths down to 200m. When diving in the Canaries you can rarely observe it. In addition, its widespread distribution area extends from the Bermuda Islands via Florida, the Bahamas, the Netherlands Antilles, the French Antilles, Panama, Colombia to Brazil in the western Atlantic. In the eastern part of the Atlantic it is found around the islands of Madeira, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Ascension, Saint Helena and in the Gulf of Guinea.
Biology
Hoplometopus antillensis lives solitaire and feeds on carrion and small fish.
In addition, the Flaming Reef Lobster mate shortly after the female’s moult. Their eggs stick six days on the lower back leg until the larvae hatch at night.
Hoplometopus antillensis fluoresce.