Reef Crustaceans
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Reef Crustaceans
There are several hundreds of kinds of crustaceans on Guam's coral reefs. Most are small and remain well-hidden. Most of the local crustaceans feed on almost any plant or animal matter they can find. For many species this is primarily algae with associated tiny animals. Crabs use their pincers for grasping food while mahonggang (spiny lobsters) and papangpang(slipper lobsters) use their sharply-pointed hairy front legs to snag their food.
All crustaceans have an external skeleton(exoskeleton) which must be periodically shed in order for them to grow. This is known as moulting or in Chamoru, manggosni. After each moult, their new shells are soft for several hours or days until enough calcium is absorbed to make them hard. They then grow within their shells until there is no longer enough room and they must moult again.
Lobsters are the largest and most valuable of the reef's crustaceans. The most common spiny lobster is the mahonggang (Panulirus penicillatus) or gupo'ålao as Chamorus call it when it reaches a giant size. It lives primarily along the wave-swept reef margin. Other species tend to occur in deeper water, but are not commonly seen. The papangpang has a wide flattened carapace that covers its legs. There are hundreds of species of crabs on Guam's reefs, but only two, the pånglao oru (seven-eleven crab) and the pånglao guaka(red reef crab) are large enough to be commonly taken.
Mahonggang are Guam's only regulated crustaceans. They must weigh at least one pound and females with eggs may not be taken during the months of May, June, and July. Forthcoming regulations will change the weight limit to a corresponding size (carapace length) limit which is easier to measure underwater. It would also prohibit the spearing of mahonggang so that undersized ones may be released unharmed.
Spiny Lobster
Mahonggang / Gupo'ålao
spinlob
Slipper Lobster
Papangpang
sliplob
Seven-eleven Crab
Pånglao Oru
711
Red Reef Crab
Pånglao Guaka
rrcrab
Guam Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 9/27/2005
