Spiny lobster (Panulirus) maximum and asymptotic size values published from 1940-2026

This dataset is a non-systematically compiled collection of 629 maximum size (L_max) and asymptotic length (L_inf) values for the spiny lobster genus Panulirus, incidentally collected during a systematic review of Panulirus size at maturity. While the non-systematic nature of the data collection undoubtedly introduces some bias into the dataset, this is by far the most extensive collection of L_max and L_inf values for this speciose and commercially important genus. Each entry includes the scientific name of the species, the country in which samples were collected, the maximum size value (standardized to carapace length in millimeters), the sex to which the value corresponds, the type of value (L_max or L_inf). A separate table contains detailed bibliographic information about each literature source from which the values were taken. Values were taken from 218 unique sources published from 1940-2026 and represent 49 different countries. Species that support larger commercial fisheries are overrepresented in the dataset, with 23% of the entries representing maximum sizes for the Caribbean spiny lobster P. argus. The dataset reveals tremendous interspecific variation in maximum size, with the median value for the species with the largest maximum size (P. cygnus; 92 mm) over twice as large as the median value for the smallest species (P. guttatus, 39 mm).