Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Palinurus elephas

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Kingdom
  
Subphylum
  
Family
  
Palinuridae

Scientific name
  
Palinurus elephas

Rank
  
Species

Phylum
  
Order
  
Genus
  
Palinurus

Higher classification
  
Palinurus

Palinurus elephas Palinurus elephas COIS Marbella Flickr

Conservation status
  
Vulnerable (Population decreasing)

Similar
  
Homarus, Crustacean, Norway lobster, Homarus gammarus, Prawn

Epinephelus marginatus dusky grouper and palinurus elephas european spiny lobster hd


Palinurus elephas is a spiny lobster, which is commonly caught in the Mediterranean Sea. Its common names include European spiny lobster, crayfish or cray (in Ireland), common spiny lobster, Mediterranean lobster and red lobster.

Contents

Palinurus elephas httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Distribution and habitat

Palinurus elephas Spiny Lobster Palinurus elephas atlantisgozocom

Palinurus elephas is a common species of spiny lobster, found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from southern Norway to Morocco and the Azores, and in the Mediterranean Sea, except its eastern extremes. It lives on rocky exposed coasts below the intertidal zone, mainly at depths of 20 to 70 metres (66 to 230 ft).

Description

Palinurus elephas FilePalinurus elephas Rhodesjpg Wikimedia Commons

P. elephas may reach up to 60 cm (24 in) long, although rarely longer than 40 cm (16 in), and usually 25–30 centimetres or 10–12 inches. Few achieve their maximum weight of several kilograms.

Palinurus elephas Palinurus elephas Marine Life Encyclopedia

The adults are reddish-brown with yellow spots. The carapace is slightly compressed and lacks lateral ridges. It is covered with forward pointing spines, with the supraorbital spines prominent. The antennae are very heavy and spiny. Their flagellum is tapering and is even longer than the body. The first walking leg (pereopod) is provided with subchela (the distal end of a limb developed as a prehensile structure). The fourth segment (merus) of this leg has a characteristic row of spines.

Reproduction

The breeding season is in September and October, with the female brooding the reddish eggs. These eggs hatch about six months later in the spring as flattened, leaf-shaped, planktonic larvae (phyllosoma larvae).

Diet

It is nocturnal and feeds on small worms, crabs or dead animals, hiding in rock crevices or caves during the day.

Uses

It is a much sought-after delicacy and is widely caught for food around the Mediterranean Sea, mostly with lobster pots, and is also caught less intensively off the Atlantic Coasts of Ireland, Portugal, France and England. There are also small fisheries for this species on the west coast of Scotland, employing tangle nets or lobster pots.

References

Palinurus elephas Wikipedia


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