Available wild-caught, these marine crustaceans have the widest distribution of all Australian Rock Lobsters, found from Margaret River, WA, around the northern coast of Australia down to the Central Coast of NSW, usually in shallow water (less than 20m) on rock and coral reefs, although they can be found at over 100m. They are mainly caught in Torres Strait, by spear or hand (as they rarely enter pots), with the fishery jointly managed by Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Their body colour varies, but is often brightly patterned (especially on legs), their antennae are extremely long and the flagella on the long antennules between the antennae are also long and forked. Ornate Rock Lobsters are the main commercial Tropical Rock Lobster and the largest, they are often found on sand or mud. Rock Lobsters are mostly active after dark and are carnivorous scavengers, feeding on bottom-dwelling invertebrates.