Slipper, Spanish & Spotted Lobster: Florida's Other Lobsters

Almost every lobster caught in Florida is the same animal: the Caribbean spiny lobster. But every so often you'll pull something up that looks nothing like it. Maybe a flat, wide, shovel-nosed creature with no antennae to speak of, or a small, dark, spotted lobster wedged deep in the reef. These are Florida's other lobsters, and here's the surprising part: the size and bag limits you know for spiny lobster don't apply to them. This guide covers what they are, how to tell them apart, and exactly what the law does and doesn't allow.

Florida's other lobsters

When people say "Florida lobster," they mean the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), the animal behind mini-season and virtually the entire fishery. It's the one covered in the rest of these guides and compared to its northern cousin in spiny lobster vs. Maine lobster. But it isn't the only lobster on the reef. You may also encounter:

• Slipper lobsters, most commonly the Spanish slipper lobster (Scyllarides aequinoctialis) and the ridged slipper lobster (Scyllarides nodifer). These are the flat, shovel-nosed "bulldozers."
• The spotted spiny lobster (Panulirus guttatus), a smaller, darker, reef-bound relative of the common spiny lobster.
• Occasionally the smoothtail spiny lobster (Panulirus laevicauda), another spiny relative that turns up now and then.

They're all lobster, but they live differently, look different, and, crucially, are regulated differently.

How to tell them apart

You almost never confuse these once you've seen them, because the body plans are so distinct.

• Caribbean spiny lobster: two long, whip-like spiny antennae, a pair of forward horns over the eyes, and a tan-to-brown body. This is the familiar one.
• Slipper (Spanish / shovelnose) lobster: unmistakable. It's flat and wide with no long antennae at all. In their place are broad, flat, plate-like antennae at the front that look like a pair of little shovels or paddles, hence "shovelnose" and "bulldozer." Slipper lobsters are slow movers that press flat against the bottom, tuck under ledges, and bury into sand. Their color is a mottled reddish-brown.
• Spotted spiny lobster: smaller than the common spiny lobster, darker, and covered in distinct white or cream spots, with long, thin legs. It's a secretive reef dweller that stays jammed deep in coral crevices, which is why you rarely see one.

The rules are completely different

Here's the part that surprises most divers. Florida's well-known lobster rules, the 3-inch carapace minimum and the daily bag limit, were written specifically for the Caribbean spiny lobster. They do not apply to the other species (FWC Chapter 68B-24, Spiny Lobster and Slipper Lobster).

For slipper, Spanish slipper, spotted spiny, and smoothtail spiny lobster:

• No minimum size limit.

• No daily bag limit in the usual sense. You may harvest up to 100 pounds of each species per day. But the rules that protect the resource still apply, and they matter:

• No spearing or gigging. Florida prohibits harvesting any lobster with a device that could puncture, penetrate, or crush the shell, so you take these species the same way as spiny lobster: by hand, or with a tickle stick and net or a snare (see tickle stick & net vs. snare).

So the short version: these species are far more loosely regulated than the spiny lobster, but they are not a free-for-all. Check the current rules on the FWC lobster page, and treat the no-take zones and license requirements the same as you would for spiny lobster.

Are they worth keeping?

Slipper lobster tails are a genuine prize. Many people who've eaten both rank slipper tail meat above spiny, it's sweet, dense, and clean, closer to a scallop or a cold-water lobster in texture. A Spanish slipper is a very good reason to fill a bag. The spotted spiny lobster, on the other hand, is small, so there isn't much meat on one, and combined with how rarely you find them, most divers admire and release them.

A word on restraint

Just because the law lets you take 100 pounds of slipper lobster with no size limit doesn't mean you should. Slipper lobsters are slower-growing and far less abundant than the spiny lobster, and a spot can be cleaned out quickly. Take a couple of good ones for the table, leave the small ones and the breeders, and you'll still have slipper lobster to find next year. It's the same ethic that runs through the whole conservation guide: the rules are a floor, not a target.

Where you find them

These other lobsters share the same habitat as the spiny lobster, just different corners of it. Slipper lobsters favor ledges, hardbottom, and the edges of wrecks and rubble, and they'll press into sand at the base of structure, so they're easy to overlook. The spotted spiny lobster stays deep in the reef, back in the coral crevices where you'd have to look hard to spot one. Learn to read the structure and you'll turn up the occasional slipper as a bonus while you're hunting spiny.

Sources

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Chapter 68B-24, Spiny Lobster (Crawfish) and Slipper Lobster.
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Spiny Lobster recreational regulations (bag and size limits apply to Panulirus argus; egg-bearing prohibition across lobster families).

Frequently asked questions

Can you keep slipper lobster in Florida?

Yes. The 3-inch size limit and daily bag limits apply only to the Caribbean spiny lobster. Slipper lobsters, including the Spanish slipper, have no minimum size and no bag limit (up to 100 pounds of each species per day). But like spiny lobster they can't be speared (harvest by hand, tickle stick and net, or snare), egg-bearing females of any lobster must be released, and you still need a saltwater fishing license and must respect no-take zones.

What is the difference between a spiny lobster and a slipper lobster?

The Caribbean spiny lobster has two long, spiny antennae and forward horns. A slipper lobster is flat and wide with no long antennae, just broad, plate-like "shovels" at the front, which is why it's called the shovelnose or bulldozer lobster. Slipper lobsters are slower, hug the bottom, and their tails are excellent eating.

Is a spotted spiny lobster legal to keep in Florida?

Yes. The spotted spiny lobster (Panulirus guttatus) is a different species from the common spiny lobster, so the size and bag limits don't apply, no minimum size, up to 100 pounds per day. Egg-bearing females must be released, and a license and no-take rules still apply. They're small, secretive reef dwellers, so they're caught far less often.

Regulations change, so always confirm the current rules on the FWC spiny lobster page before you dive. Last updated August 2026.