Tropical rock lobsters, or pearl lobsters, as they're better known, are one of the rarest and most expensive lobster varieties. The colourful crustaceans are so valuable that there have even been international smuggling attempts of its larvae. Commercially-bred pearl lobsters sell for about $50 per kilogram, while wild-caught pearl lobsters sell for $99 per kilogram. This makes pearl lobsters more than 6 times more expensive than Maine lobsters, which go for $15 a kilogram. 

The vast, edible spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus (also known as the tropical rock lobster,ornate rock lobster, ornate spiny lobster, and ornate tropical rock lobster)has been successfully produced in captivity and goes through 11 distinct phases of larval development.

The ornate rock lobster stands out because of its large,blue-green shell. It has big horns that stick out from the top of its head and stripes and dots of different colours all over its body. It looks like a spider because its walking legs have complicated striped patterns.

Pearl or tropical rock lobsters are among the rarest and most expensive lobsters. The larvae of these beautiful crustaceans are so highly sought after that they have been the target of international smuggling operations.

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