Information on Slipper Lobsters

Slipper lobster is the common name for the scyllaridae family of decapod crustaceans. They live in warm equatorial oceans around the Caribbean islands, Mediterranean, Eastern Atlantic and Australian coastal waters. Slipper lobsters are edible, and wind up as an ingredient in lobster soup. Smaller slipper lobster make an unusual addition to a saltwater reef aquarium.

  1. Appearance

    • Slipper lobsters are are identified by a lack of claws and two broad, scaly growths where other species of lobster have sleek antennae. The body is wide and flat with embedded eye sockets in the carapace.

    Alternative Names

    • The geni of slipper lobster are thenus, arctides, parribacus, ibacus and evibacus. Slipper lobsters are close relatives of spiny and furry lobster. They are also known as locust, shovel-nosed and Spanish lobsters. Australians refer to their native species of slippers as "bugs."

    Slipper Lobsters as Pets

    • Cape Town, red-banded, scaly and sculptured slipper lobsters are suitable pets when kept individually in a 100 gallon saltwater aquarium at 75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. They eat molluscs, snails, small fish, clams and urchins and enjoy digging in the substrate for food, so ensure tank decorations are fixed securely.

    Lobster Fishing

    • Edible slippers are commercially trawled by fishermen or hand caught by scuba divers. It is unlawful to take egg-bearing females from the ocean, and juveniles should be left to grow into adults before capture.

    Eating Slipper Lobsters

    • Most of the meat is in the tail section, and slipper lobsters are used in soups and main courses. They are a suitable substitute for other types of lobster and large crustaceans in seafood recipes.