The country is home to a number of species due to the ideal offshore habitat it provides

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/08/22
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan is said to have the most lobster species in the world, given the ideal habitat provided by the Kuroshio current off its shores.

According to a report by the Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, there are about 45 species of lobsters worldwide. It's reported that 14 to 16 species of lobsters make their home in Taiwan’s waters.

According to the Institute of Oceanography report, most lobster species live off the coast of Taitung, Hualien, Yilan, Keelung, Hengchun, and Penghu. There are six species of lobsters that are most commonly seen here, including: Panulirus japonicas (日本龍蝦), Panulirus longipes (長足龍蝦), Panulirus ornatus (錦繡龍蝦), Panulirus peniciliatus (密毛龍蝦), Panulirus homarus (波紋龍蝦), Panulirus versicolor (雜色龍蝦).

The spiny Panulirus japonicas is most commonly seen in waters off Taiwan’s north coast, and is rarely seen in southern Taiwan. It is said to be the second most numerous species in Taiwan.
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