pale colour. The exoskeleton is segmented, and must be shed as the animal grows. The largest recorded specimen is , but a maximum weight of is considered typical. The average accepted form of measurement, that of the carapace, is from in length. Distribution The range of the species is along the coast of Western Australia, from Hamelin Bay to the North West Cape, and at islands such as the Houtman Abrolhos. The larvae of the species develop in the meadows of seagrasses of Western Australia, migrating out from these toward the deeper ocean and coral reefs such as the Abrolhos Islands. Fisheries The annual catch is 8,000–15,000 tonnes. The value of production in 2003/2004 was A$248 million. The fishery was one of the first in the world to be certified as ecologically sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. The western coastline contains eight species of rock lobster, but the harvest primarily targets Panulirus cygnus. The species is known to have been caught since the settlement of Swan River Colony, in 1829, and expanded as the larger populations were discovered in remote locations of the state. The industry came to be centred at the Houtman Abrolhos, at the edge of the continental shelf, where the mature crays occur in large populations. A cannery was established at the islands to export the seasonal catch in the 1930s. The early industry claimed to harvest up to fourteen species, however, research into the Abrolhos populations recognised only three. The population harvested near Dongara is reputed to be a greater delicacy amongst consumers, although investigation of that catch did not reveal any morphological distinctions from other populations. Western Rock Lobsters are found locally to Rottnest Island. See also Southern rock lobster References External links Fisheries Western Australia – Western Rock Lobster Fact Sheet Achelata Crustaceans of the Indian Ocean Crustaceans of Australia Edible crustaceans Commercial crustaceans Crustaceans described in 1962 Articles containing video clips