Blue Spiny Lobster

Sightings

2026 season, every one sourced

Photos

From California this season

No photos yet. If you photographed this animal in California this season, post it to the Coastal Bulletin.

Home Range

Where it normally lives

Pacific coast of Mexico, from Baja California to Puerto Angel, Oaxaca.

Range source: Naturalis, Marine Lobsters of the World · SeaLifeBase

The species lives along Mexico's Pacific coast, from Baja California south to Puerto Angel in Oaxaca, on rocky bottom down to about 100 feet. A lobster guide published by the Naturalis museum notes a past record from San Diego that was never verified.

Identification

The blue spiny lobster belongs to the same genus as the California spiny lobster. Its tail segments are smooth, with no grooves running across them. The first 3 tail segments each carry a thin whitish line across the back edge, and the last 3 carry a row of large whitish spots in the same place. Most grow to about 12 inches long, and the largest reach about 15.

Natural History

Fishermen take blue spiny lobsters throughout their range, mostly for local tables. They are caught by hand and in gill nets and sold fresh or frozen.

In California

A blue spiny lobster was photographed in Long Beach on October 2, 2026, and identified by the iNaturalist community. A second Long Beach report from October 23 is still waiting for confirmation and is not counted here.

Taxonomy

Rarity

Rarity in the compendium is how often the animal has been reported on the California coast this season, not how rare it is where it normally lives. It moves as new sightings come in.