Lobsters are one of the most valuable and highly priced crustaceans as well as an important export commodity. The massive head bears five pairs of walking legs; the abdomen is well developed, muscular and bears five pairs of swimmerets. Lobsters are solitary animals that crawl on the sea floor and hide under rocks. Among the 12 species recorded from Indian coastal waters, only four species of Spiny Lobsters (Panulirus homarus, P. ornatus, P. polyphagus, P. versicolor) and one species of Slipper Lobster (Thenus orinetalis) are commercially important. Growth is slow, most lobsters take more than 3 years to attain maturation and they have a prolonged life-cycle. Grow-out and fattening of lobsters is commonly done in indoor tanks and cages to fetch better price in market.
