[2] They shelter during the day in natural dens, on the ceilings of caves, or in reefs, preferring situations with more than one entrance or exit.

[3] The prey, which S. latus can detect even under 3.5 cm (1.4 in) of sediment, is opened by careful use of the strong pointed pereiopods.

[3] Male Scyllarus latus carry spermatophores at the base of the last two pairs of pereiopods in April.

Smaller individuals typically gain weight over the course of a moult, but this difference is less pronounced in larger animals.

Larger lobsters can exert a stronger grip than smaller ones, with a force of up to 150 newtons (equivalent to a weight of 15 kilograms or 33 pounds) required to dislodge the largest individuals.

[3] Predator avoidance may also explain the frequent behaviour where S. latus will carry food items back to a shelter before consuming them.

An alternative strategy is to grip an opponent and begin the tail-flipping movement, or to engage in a tug of war.

The only other genus in the subfamily, Arctides, is distinguished by having a more highly sculptured carapace, with an extra spine behind each eye, and a transverse groove on the first segment of the abdomen.

Lipke Holthuis later chose a lectotype for the species, which was the animal illustrated by Cornelius Sittardus, and published in Conrad Gesner's Historiae animalium in 1558 (book 4, p. 1097).

[2] This illustration, originally a watercolour but reproduced by Gesner in a woodcut, had been mentioned by Latreille in his description as being particularly fine, and is all that remains of the type specimen.

However, it is caught in small numbers throughout its distribution, mostly in trammel nets, by trawling and in lobster pots.

Catching by hand has become increasingly frequent, since the advent of SCUBA diving made the animal's habitat more accessible to humans.