Available wild-caught (though being assessed for aquaculture), these marine crustaceans are found from Geraldton, WA, south to Coffs Harbour, NSW, including around the Tasmanian Coast. They shelter in caves and crevices and under rocks from close inshore to depths of 200m.
They are caught mainly off SA in pots, with a small number also caught in ring nets in shallow waters. They look similar to Eastern Rock Lobsters, but their shell is rough-textured and orange-red before cooking instead of greeny-black.
They differ from Tropical and Western Rock Lobsters in that their antennae and antennules (between the antennae) are short and the flagella on the antennules aren’t forked. Rock Lobsters are mostly active after dark and are carnivorous scavengers, feeding on bottom-dwelling invertebrates.