The Rock Lobster is spiny with long antennae. The older juveniles and adult lobsters (except 'whites') assume a reddish-purple colour. Its life cycle includes a long oceanic larval stage (about 9 months), 3-6 years juvenile stage in shallow reefs and then become available to the fishery.
The fishery has strict requirements in place including seasonal closures, minimum size requirements and a ban on catching breeding females. Data on the fishery has been kept since the 1960s and enables fisheries scientists to predict catches accurately and ensure that controls are adequate to keep the fishery operating at sustainable levels. Commercial fishers, processors and the Western Australian government work closely together to preserve the fishery’s future.

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