''Parribacus perlatus'', the Easter Island mitten lobster, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

slipper lobster Slipper lobsters are a family (Scyllaridae) of about 90 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda clade Reptantia, found in all warm oceans and seas. They are not true lobsters, but are more closely related to spiny lobsters and furry lo ...

found around

Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...

in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. The lobster is a traditional food source for the

Rapanui The Rapa Nui (Rapa Nui: , Spanish: ) are the Polynesian peoples indigenous to Easter Island. The easternmost Polynesian culture, the descendants of the original people of Easter Island make up about 60% of the current Easter Island population and ...

where it is known as '.

Description

Adults of ''Panulirus pascuensis'' can grow to a total length of , with a

carapace A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...

long.

Distribution and habitat

''Panulirus pascuensis'' is native to the coast of Easter Island in the south eastern Pacific Ocean. It is found on rocky shores in shallow waters at depths of up to , hiding during the day under boulders and in crevices.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q8062111 Achelata Edible crustaceans Crustaceans of the eastern Pacific Ocean IUCN Red List data deficient species Fauna of Easter Island Crustaceans described in 1967 Pascuense cuisine