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The largest commonly seen crustaceans are the spiny lobsters, Panulirus. By day spiny lobsters hide in caves and crevices, often in small groups, with only their long antennae protruding. But at night they venture out of their retreats in search of food. If surprised out in the open, spiny lobsters can swim backwards with great speed using powerful flicks of their tail.

These lobsters, of course, make very fine eating, but visiting divers should resist the temptation of trying to catch a lobster for the table. Removal of animals from a dive site is short-sighted, and lobster catching is quite a skilled operation. An unpracticed diver who attempts it is likely to be left only with painful cuts and a handful of antennae.

Shrimps

On night dives large shrimps can sometimes be spotted out in the open where their reflective eyes catch the light and stand out as two bright red spots. But even by day the careful observer should be able to spot several species of small shrimp.

Commensals. A variety of sometimes colorful shrimp associate with anemones, coral and echinoderms for protection, making them easy to spot. The tiny bumble-bee shrimps (Gnathophyllum) associate with sea urchins. Various species of Periclimenes, some quite colorful, associate with anemones, gorgonians, and echinoderms. One,