Kota Kinabalu: The Borneo Marine Institute (IMB) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has recorded three species of spiny lobster (
Panulirus spp.) from Sabah waters for the first time.
Two of the species are new records for Malaysia, while one is a new record for Sabah.
The study was led by IMB researcher Assoc Prof Dr Chen Cheng Ann, together with Master of Science student Ng Wei-Ling.
The team identified the species as
Panulirus homarus homarus,
Panulirus polyphagus and
Panulirus femoristriga from Sabah’s coastal waters.
Two species,
P. femoristriga and
P. homarus homarus, are new records for Malaysia, while
P. polyphagus is a new record for Sabah.
Chen said the discovery updates Malaysia’s marine biodiversity records and highlights the need to strengthen fisheries resource management in Sabah.
He said only three species of spiny lobster –
Panulirus ornatus,
Panulirus versicolor and
Panulirus longipes – had previously been recorded from Sabah waters since 2004.
The research has now increased the number of known species in Sabah waters to six, indicating that much of the State’s marine biodiversity remains unexplored.
UMS Vice Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor commended the research team and described the achievement as a milestone in marine science and a reflection of the nation’s research excellence.
The findings also support fisheries management and conservation planning in Sabah, including marine protected areas such as Tun Mustapha Park and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.
