Palinurus elephas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palinurus elephas |
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| Genus: |
Palinurus
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| Species: |
elephas
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The Palinurus elephas is a type of spiny lobster often caught in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It has many common names, like European spiny lobster, crayfish (in Ireland), crawfish (in England), and red lobster.
Where They Live
You can find the European spiny lobster in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. It lives from southern Norway all the way down to Morocco and the Azores islands. It also lives in most of the Mediterranean Sea. These lobsters love rocky places along the coast. They usually live in water that is about 20 to 70 meters deep.
What They Look Like
The European spiny lobster can grow quite big! It can be up to 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) long. Most of the time, they are around 25 to 30 centimeters long. Grown-up lobsters are reddish-brown and have cool yellow spots.
Their hard shell, called a carapace, is covered with spines that point forward. They also have very long, thick, and spiny antennae that are even longer than their bodies! These antennae help them feel their way around and find food.
Life Cycle
European spiny lobsters usually have their babies in September and October. The female lobster carries her reddish eggs for about six months. In the spring, tiny, flat, leaf-shaped babies hatch from the eggs. These baby lobsters are called phyllosoma larvae. They float around in the water. As they grow, they go through several changes before they become adult lobsters.
What They Eat
These lobsters are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. They hide in rock cracks or caves during the day. At night, they come out to find food. They eat small worms, crabs, or even dead animals they find on the seafloor.
How People Use Them
The European spiny lobster is a very popular food. People catch them a lot in the Mediterranean Sea and along the Atlantic coasts of countries like Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and France. They are mostly caught using special traps called lobster pots. You can also find smaller fisheries catching them off the coasts of England, Ireland, and Scotland. This lobster is a main ingredient in many dishes around the Mediterranean, like the famous caldereta de langosta (lobster stew) from Menorca.
