European spiny lobster
Palinurus elephas
- Scientific name
- Palinurus elephas
- Group
- Crustaceans
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Mediterranean
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Vulnerable
Did you know?
Unlike the lobster, the European spiny lobster has no large claws: it defends itself with long spiny antennae that it lashes like whips. Overfishing has significantly reduced its populations across the Mediterranean and Atlantic.
What defines this group — Crustaceans
Armoured arthropods: crabs, shrimp and lobsters, all built around an external shell.
- The skeleton is on the outside; growing means shedding it — the moult.
- Jointed legs in pairs, often reshaped into claws or antennae.
- The larvae drift with the plankton in open water before settling on the bottom.
Other species in this group
- Common hermit crab
- Green shore crab
- Caribbean spiny lobster
- Skunk cleaner shrimp
- Spinous spider crab
- Common prawn