Western Rock Lobster

The Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus), often called a “crayfish,” is found only along the west coast of Western Australia, from North West Cape to Cape Leeuwin. These lobsters shelter in crevices and caves on limestone reefs and, in the north, on coral reefs.

Nocturnal by nature, they emerge at night to forage among seagrass meadows, algal beds, and reef surfaces. Their varied diet includes both plant material and small marine animals. This species underpins one of Australia’s most valuable and sustainable commercial fisheries, centred in the Geraldton region.