How to Cook Panulirus ornatus, the Delicious Lobster from the Great Barrier Reef
Panulirus ornatus is a type of spiny lobster that can be found in the clear waters of the Indo-Pacific region. It is a large and tasty crustacean that has been successfully bred in captivity. In this article, you will learn more about this lobster and how to cook it.
What is Panulirus ornatus?
Panulirus ornatus is also known as tropical rock lobster, ornate rock lobster, ornate spiny lobster and ornate tropical rock lobster. It has 11 larval stages and can grow up to 40 cm in length and 5 kg in weight. It has a greenish-blue body with yellow spots and stripes, and long antennae with orange tips.
Where to Find Panulirus ornatus?
Panulirus ornatus lives in shallow coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves, usually no deeper than 50 m. It can be found from the Red Sea and South Africa in the west to Japan and Fiji in the east. It is also an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, where it entered through the Suez Canal.
Panulirus ornatus is harvested by nets or spears in most parts of its range. In Northeast Australia, there is a commercial fishery for this lobster since 1966, which is regulated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
What Does Panulirus ornatus Eat?
Panulirus ornatus feeds on various invertebrates, such as bivalves, gastropods and small crustaceans. It depends on carotenoids for energy and other functions, such as reproduction, development, antioxidants and stress resistance. Carotenoids are pigments that give the lobster its color and are mainly obtained from astaxanthin, a type of algae.
When Panulirus ornatus is bred in aquaculture facilities, it is fed with crustacean feeds that contain carotenoids and other nutrients. Some feeds also use blue and green-lipped mussels as ingredients, but experiments have shown that they are not enough for the lobster’s development.
How Does Panulirus ornatus Reproduce?
Panulirus ornatus migrates annually from the Torres Strait to Yule Island in the Gulf of Papua to breed. Migration starts in mid to late August, during which ovary development, mating and initial oviposition occur. Larval release occurs when the Panulirus ornatus population reaches the reefs of the eastern seaboard of the Gulf of Papua.
The breeding season for Panulirus ornatus lasts from November to May
