Scyllarus arctus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scyllarus arctus
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Family:	Scyllaridae
Genus:	Scyllarus
Species:	S. arctus
Binomial name
Scyllarus arctus (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Synonyms
Arctus arctus De Haan, 1849 Arctus crenulatus Bouvier, 1905 Arctus ursus Dana, 1852 Astacus arctus Pennant, 1777 Cancer Arctus Linnaeus, 1758 Cancer (Astacus) ursus minor Herbst, 1793 Chrysoma mediterraneum Risso, 1827 Nisto asper Sarato, 1885 Phyllosoma mediterraneum Hope, 1851 Phyllosoma sarniense Lukis, 1835 Phyllosoma parthenopaeum Costa, 1840 Scyllarus tridentatus Leach, 1814 Scyllarus cicada Risso, 1816 Scyllarus (Arctus) crenulatus Bouvier, 1915 Yalomus depressus Rafinesque MS in Holthuis, 1985

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The Scyllarus arctus is a type of slipper lobster. It lives in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. This creature is also known by other names like the small European locust lobster or the lesser slipper lobster. It is not often found near Britain and Ireland.

Where Scyllarus arctus Lives

This slipper lobster can be found all over the Mediterranean Sea. It also lives in the eastern parts of the Atlantic Ocean. You can find it from the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Its range goes as far north as the English Channel.

It is quite rare north of the Bay of Biscay. A few have been seen in British waters. However, S. arctus is even rarer in Britain than the giant squid. Until 1960, people thought S. arctus was the only Scyllarus species in the Mediterranean. Later, they found that Scyllarus pygmaeus also lives there.

What Scyllarus arctus Looks Like

Scyllarus arctus can grow up to 16 cm long. But most are usually between 5 cm and 10 cm. It has a reddish-brown color. There is a dark brown spot on each part of its tail section. This spot is not very clear.

Its legs, called pereiopods, have a dark blue ring on each segment. You can tell it apart from its close relative, Scyllarus pygmaeus. That species lives in the same areas. S. arctus is mainly larger. It also has a flatter bump on its chest compared to S. pygmaeus, which has a cone-shaped one.

How Scyllarus arctus Lives

Scyllarus arctus can get a sickness called white spot syndrome. Many types of demersal fish also hunt and eat it. These lobsters live in water that is 4 to 50 meters deep. They prefer muddy or rocky places. They also live in areas with Posidonia seagrass.

People do catch them for food, but only in small amounts. They are not a popular target for lobster fishing. This is because they are hard to find and are quite small.