The complete stock structure of the Caribbean spiny lobster is not fully understood. Silberman et al. (1994) concluded that there is single genetic stock throughout its entire distribution area, however, a recent review of oceanographic and genetic available data indicates that Brazilian populations are characterized by a considerable degree of self-recruitment, and are assessed independently of the Caribbean populations (Andrade, 2015). Larval connectivity in the Caribbean has been described by (Kough et al. 2013): larval exchanges transcend international boundaries, nonetheless, self-recruitment of lobsters dominates larval recruitment in the Bahamas, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela; while the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, and Puerto Rico lobter populations depend largely on larval subsidies from outside their borders. 

This profile considers the Caribbean lobster meta-population, and includes assessments conducted at national level, when available. The assessment unit and supposed stock along the Northern Brazilian coast is considered separately in the Northern SW Atlantic profile.