Nephrops norvegicus facts for kids
The Norway lobster, also known as the Dublin Bay prawn or scampi, is a slim, orange-pink lobster. It can grow up to 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) long. This lobster is very important for fishing in Europe. It's the only living species in its group, Nephrops. You can find it in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and parts of the Mediterranean Sea. It doesn't live in the Baltic or Black Seas. Adult Norway lobsters come out of their burrows at night to find food like worms and small fish.
Quick facts for kids Nephrops norvegicus |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Norway lobster has a body shape similar to other lobsters, but it's thinner. It's usually a pale orange color. Most grow to be about 18 to 20 centimeters (7 to 8 inches) long. Some can even reach 25 centimeters (10 inches), including their tail and claws.
A hard shell, called a carapace, covers the front part of its body. Its tail is long and has segments, ending in a wide fan. The first three pairs of its legs have claws. The front pair of claws are very long and have sharp ridges. It has two pairs of antennae, with the second pair being longer and thinner. The lobster also has a long, spiky snout called a rostrum. Its compound eyes are shaped like kidneys. This kidney shape gives the lobster its scientific name, Nephrops, which comes from Greek words meaning "kidney" and "eye."
Where Do They Live?
Norway lobsters live in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. You can find them as far north as Iceland and northern Norway, and south to Portugal. They are not very common in the Mediterranean Sea, except in the Adriatic Sea. They are completely absent from the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Because they need a specific type of muddy seafloor, Norway lobsters are found in many separate groups. These groups are often far apart, and adult lobsters usually don't travel more than a few hundred meters from their homes.
How They Live
Norway lobsters prefer to live in muddy areas at the bottom of the sea. These muddy spots have more than 40 percent silt and clay. They dig burrows that they use for a long time. These burrows are usually 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) deep. They have two entrances, about 50 to 80 centimeters (20 to 31 inches) apart. Norway lobsters spend most of their time inside or near their burrows. They only leave to find food or to mate.
What Do They Eat?
Norway lobsters are both scavengers and predators. This means they eat both dead things and hunt live prey. They usually go out to find food when the light is dim. They catch active prey like worms and small fish using their claws and walking legs. They then use their front walking legs and other mouthparts to bring the food to their mouth. There is also evidence that Norway lobsters eat a lot of jellyfish.
Other Creatures Living With Them
Norway lobsters can have other creatures living on or inside them. Some organisms, like barnacles, attach to their outer shell. In 1995, a tiny creature called Symbion pandora was found attached to the mouthparts of a Norway lobster. This was a huge discovery because it was the first member of a completely new group of animals called Cycliophora! S. pandora has since been found on Norway lobsters in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas.
Norway lobsters can also get sick from a type of tiny parasite called Hematodinium. This parasite can make the lobster's shell look cloudy and its blood milky white. It can make the lobster very weak.
Life Cycle
Norway lobsters usually live for 5 to 10 years, but some can live up to 15 years. Their breeding cycle changes depending on where they live. In warmer places, they might breed every year. In colder places, they might breed every two years because it takes longer for their eggs to hatch.
Adult male Norway lobsters shed their shells (moult) once or twice a year. Adult females moult about once a year, usually after their eggs hatch. Mating happens in the spring or winter when the females have just moulted and their shells are soft. The females carry their eggs under their tails until they hatch. The eggs hatch in late winter or early spring. After hatching, the females moult and mate again.
Young Norway lobsters spend about 1 to 2 months floating in the water as tiny larvae. They move up and down in the water, carried by currents. For them to survive and grow into adults, they need to end up in a good muddy area where they can settle down.
Fishing for Norway Lobsters
The meaty tail of the Norway lobster is often eaten and is known as scampi. In some countries like Spain and Portugal, it's a special treat, but it's usually less expensive than common lobster. Norway lobsters are an important catch for fishermen, mostly caught using large nets called trawls. About 60,000 tons are caught each year, with half of that coming from the United Kingdom's waters.
Besides trawling, some fishermen use special traps called lobster creels. Lobsters caught this way are often bigger and in better condition, so they sell for much higher prices. Creel fishing also causes less damage to the seafloor and uses less fuel. This makes it a good option for smaller fishing boats.
Fishermen and scientists work together to make sure that Norway lobster populations are healthy. They try to set limits on how many lobsters can be caught in different areas to prevent overfishing. For example, in 2016, the UK put in place special rules to help a lobster population off North East England recover. By 2018, that population was being fished at a healthy level again. However, it's important to keep managing fishing carefully so that these valuable lobsters continue to thrive.
When Norway lobsters are caught, other fish like plaice and sole are often caught too. These other fish are important for the fishing industry to make enough money.
How They Got Their Name
The Norway lobster was first described by a famous scientist named Carl Linnaeus in 1758. He gave it the scientific name Cancer Norvegicus. Later, in 1814, another scientist named William Elford Leach created the group Nephrops just for this species. The name Nephrops comes from ancient Greek words meaning "kidney" and "eye," referring to the lobster's kidney-shaped eyes.
In Spanish: Cigala para niños
