A single specimen of the reef lobster, Enoplometopus occidentalis measuring carapace length  57.0 mm, total length 127.0 mm and  46.7 g in weight was landed at Mandapam fish landing centre, on the southeast coast of India. The lobster was caught during the deep sea trawl fishing operations off Mandapam (08° 58’ N lat. 79° 16’ E long.). This is the first record of the species from Indian waters. The morphological characters along with colour pattern are described. The large chelae in the specimen were found missing.

Gulf of Mannar, reef lobster, Enoplometopus occidentalis.