A spiny lobster is a large ocean crustacean that looks somewhat like the familiar Maine lobster but lacks the big front claws. Instead of claws, spiny lobsters have long, whip-like antennae covered in spines (sharp, pointed projections), which they use to sense their surroundings and defend themselves. These antennae can be longer than the lobster's entire body and can make a rasping sound when rubbed together, warning predators to stay away.

Spiny lobsters live in warm ocean waters around the world, hiding in rocky crevices and coral reefs during the day and coming out at night to hunt for mollusks, worms, and other small sea creatures. They walk along the ocean floor on their multiple legs, and when threatened, they can shoot backward through the water by rapidly curling and uncurling their muscular tails.

People catch spiny lobsters for food, and their tails are considered a delicacy in many coastal regions. Unlike Maine lobsters, which are caught in cold northern waters, spiny lobsters thrive in tropical and subtropical seas from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean to the Pacific. Some species migrate in long, single-file lines across the ocean floor, a remarkable sight that marine biologists still study to understand how these creatures navigate together.