Painted Spiny Lobster

Photo: SGSHANKAR · CC BY-NC

Painted spiny lobsters emerge from coral crevices at South Drop-Off in the late afternoon, their vivid blue, white, and black banding pattern making them one of the most visually striking crustaceans in the Indian Ocean. Unlike true lobsters they lack large claws, relying instead on their spiny antennae for defence and sensory orientation. Their abundance at Netrani — where they can be found hiding in groups of 3 to 8 in larger reef crevices — is a positive indicator of reef health, as they are among the first species to disappear from heavily fished reefs.