Care
It is quite unfortunate that members of the Enoplometopus genus have somehow acquired the common name of "Reef Lobster", as this rather tends to infer that they are good inhabitants of reef aquaria. Sadly, this is not usually the case. These shy lobsters (which may appear fairly harmless when they are small juveniles) are predatory, and there are regular accounts of them killing and consuming all manner of fish and invertebrates - often overnight when the lobster is at its most active and the other tank inhabitants are resting. Therefore, the Pink Reef Lobster is best maintained on its own in a separate tank to your prized fish and inverts, and ideally, this will be around 200 litres in volume, due to the lobster's eventual adult size. There should be a decent sandbed and areas with secure cave/overhang structures built from live rock, the former to provide burrowing opportunities, the latter providing welcome shady retreats during the photoperiod. Lobsters can be clumsy, so ensure all structures are stable. Progressively dimming the lights during the evening will increase the likelihood of observing your crustacean's natural behaviour under its preferred subdued illumination. Some aquarists employ the use of low wattage red bulbs or l.e.d. moonlight for this purpose. In the wild, Reef Lobsters are habitually found in shallow waters amongst rocky caves where the waters are turbulent and oxygen-rich. In the home aquarium they require vigorous water movement and an efficient filtration system. They produce a lot of waste, so decent protein skimming is a must. As with other crustaceans, Reef Lobsters will moult every so often in order to grow. When the lobster moults, its natural instincts will be to hide away somewhere safe (as it in the wild it would be at its most vulnerable during this time) so it will likely stay within the confines of a suitably sheltered cave until its new exoskeleton hardens. To sum up: this species is obviously not for everyone - it is a very dedicated hobbyist that sets up and maintains such a tank for a single nocturnal specimen, especially with such a myriad of marine fish and invertebrate choices available in the trade.
Feeding
These natural scavengers will do well on a diet of various meaty items, such as krill, prawns, squid, mussel, cockle, scallops, clam meat, silversides, lancefish etc. As mentioned above, be aware that this species will predate on fish and various inverts during night time hours if present in the same tank.
Breeding
Unlikely in the home aquarium due to the extremely high aggression level shown towards conspecifics.
