Banded Spiny Lobster

P. marginatus can reach a total body length of about 40cm, with its carapace length reaching about 12cm. They have an exoskeleton that encases them and protects them from predators. This exoskeleton is molted periodically as the lobster grows and ages. Shortly after molting, the lobsters are in a more vulnerable state and therefore go deep into their hiding so that they can be safer until their carapace hardens once again. Spiny lobsters do not have the large claws like some other lobster species.

P. marginatus is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, as its colloquial name, Hawaiian spiny lobster, implies. They can be found anywhere from the Hawaiian Islands to the Pearl and Hermes Atoll, and have also been found around Laysan Island. They are usually found in shallow, warm waters around 62m deep and between 23 - 24°C (73.4 - 75.2°F). They are nocturnal and known to hide in protected spaces under rocks and in crevices.

P. marginatus was sometimes used in place of pigs during religious sacrificial offerings.