California Spiny Lobster Season Returns
There’s a season we celebrate every year, symbolized by an icon cloaked in red who brings joy to seafood lovers on the West Coast. No, it’s not Santa Claus. In fact, there are no claws at all. When the calendar pages turn to October, it signals the start of California Spiny Lobster season!
Get ready to throw on a buoy bib and dig into this uniquely Californian delicacy!
What is a Spiny Lobster?
Part of the Palinuridae family, Spiny Lobsters get their name from the forward-pointing spines that cover their bodies to protect them from predators. While that’s one point of visual distinction, you can also tell them apart from their North American Hardshell counterparts by the lack of front claws, their powerful tails and long, spiky antennae.
Also referred to as Rock Lobster, Spiny Lobsters can be found in warmer seas around the world. In the waters of the Bahamas, New Zealand and South Africa, you can find them under the name Crawfish or Crayfish – a name typically reserved for Freshwater Crawfish in the United States.
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Don’t let the lack of front claws fool you or deter you – the meat yield of the Spiny Lobster, or “bugs” as they’re affectionately called, is generally about 25% more per pound compared to a North American Hardshell Lobster.
Without front claws as a defense mechanism, Spiny Lobsters will use their powerful tails and strong spines as a means of defense against sheepshead, black seabass, sea otters and octopuses. It’s from this muscular section where most of the meat is found.
Spiny Lobsters are also predators themselves. As nocturnal scavengers, they come out of their dens to forage in the rocky areas where they reside to feed on mussels, sea urchin, small fish and sometimes other lobsters.
California Spiny Lobster Season
The season for California Spiny Lobster typically runs from October through March. And, of the spiny lobsters caught in California, as little as 10% stay in the United States. It's a unique treat and Water Grill is pleased to be one of the only places where California Spiny Lobster is on the menu during the season.
Management over the fisheries of California Spiny Lobsters is overseen by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which sets strict daily catch and permit issuance numbers during the season.
Enforcement most often occurs through managing the size of the lobsters that are caught. All lobsters, both commercially and recreationally caught, must be of legal size, which is defined by the lobster having a carapace (or top outer shell) of 3.5” in length.
Spiny Lobsters will achieve this length when they are about seven to 11 years of age. This allows them to reproduce at least once in their lifetime, ensuring the continuation of the species.
Typically caught by lobster traps that slowly move into deeper waters as the season progresses, about 80% of the spiny lobsters that are caught measure at one and a quarter to two pounds. Some have been known to reach as much as 20 pounds.
Like their name suggests, California Spiny Lobsters are caught off the coast of California, with a range as far south as Magdalena Bay in Baja California, Mexico, and as far north as Morro Bay, Calif.
California Spiny Lobster on our menus
At Water Grill, you’ll find live, wild California Spiny Lobster swimming in our saltwater tanks. We prepare them to order, finished on the grill and paired with lobster butter and a grilled lemon. Check out our daily menus and catch this Californian delicacy while it’s in season!
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Pacific Bluefin Tuna Season Has Arrived!
Appreciate the good times while they last. You never really know when the next ones may come. That’s especially true when it comes to Pacific Bluefin Tuna.
Pacific Bluefin Tuna are some of the fastest fish in the ocean. But it’s not their speed that makes them elusive.
As one of the most carefully managed fisheries in the U.S., the annual harvest of Bluefin Tuna is limited to help prevent overfishing and restore populations to target levels. There is a capped amount for the season, and once that number is reached, there can be no more landing of Bluefin Tuna by commercial or recreational fishermen.
Consequently, this remarkable fish has sporadic and limited availability and may not be available from one year to the next.
A Highly Migratory Fish
Pacific Bluefin has the largest geographic range of all tunas. While they mostly live in open water, their fatty flesh gives them the ability to keep their bodies warm, unlike most fish. This is what allows the Pacific Bluefin to live in cooler temperate, tropical and open waters.
Bluefin Tuna spawn in the Western Pacific between central Japan and the northern Philippines from April through August. While some Bluefin end up spending their entire lives in the Western Pacific, some young fish will end up migrating to the Eastern Pacific to feed. Southern California waters provide a pristine environment filled with some of their favorite food – such as market squid and sardines.
Getting from place to place isn’t a problem for this fish, though. With their streamlined bodies and powerful tails, Pacific Bluefin Tuna are some of the fastest fish in the ocean.
At about age one, these fish start to arrive off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. They remain in the Eastern Pacific for a few years before migrating back to the Western Pacific Ocean to spawn, a journey taking as little as 55 days.
Why the Blue Fin?
Pacific Bluefin Tuna can be identified by dark blue dorsal sides. The color doesn’t stop there though. They also have a series of small yellow fins, edged in black, that run from the second dorsal fin to the tail. Their bellies are dotted with silver / gray spots or bands.
When you see a Pacific Bluefin Tuna, you’ll see that it’s built for speed. Compared to other tuna, they have relatively small eyes that are set flush to their body, streamlining their flow through the water. Make no mistake though: even though the eyes are small, they have some of the sharpest vision of any finfish and hunt by sight.
Prized Flavor
Prized for their fatty flesh and often served as maguro or toro in sushi restaurants, Pacific Bluefin Tuna are fished extensively throughout the Pacific.
At Water Grill, our Pacific Bluefin Tuna is locally sourced in the San Diego area. We work directly with local fishermen. Each fish is caught one at a time by hook and line. This helps to reduce by-catch while ensuring great handling and a top-quality product.
We bring in the whole loin of the fish to Water Grill, and cut and prepare it for several dishes that highlight its rich, buttery texture and meaty flavor. These include the Trojan Roll, Tuna Poke, Tuna Toro Tartare and Tuna Crudo along with the Wild Pacific Bluefin Tuna entrée with togarashi depending on seasonal availabiltiy. View your closest Water Grill's menu to see what's available today!
Cover photo credit: Kate/Unsplas from CA Sea Grant
