The European spiny lobster goes by many names including the Mediterranean red lobster, the common spiny lobster, crayfish, crawfish, and langouste depending on where you are. These lobsters are well known in Europe for their appealing taste making them a delicacy across Europe.
Taxonomy and Evolution
European spiny lobsters, Palinurus elephas, belong to a staggeringly old genus that dates back to 110 million years – dating to the Cretaceous they are older than most mammal and bird orders, and they are even older than snakes. The European spiny lobster is a much more recent animal, after all the Mediterranean is not 110 million years ago. Palinurus belongs to the family Palinuridae, aka the spiny lobsters, which is different to the crustaceans that we think of when we think of lobsters. The true lobsters belong to a different family, but spiny and true lobsters are both in the same order, Decapoda, with prawns, shrimp, and crabs.
Biology and Behaviour
European spiny lobsters start out life in warm but deep water as larvae between 2.9 and 3.2 millimetres in length and barely resemble the adults. Being flat and transparent the larvae, at this stage referred to as phyllosoma, drift through the currents for around 150 days depending on the warmth of the water. Warmer waters helps spend the process up somewhat. By this time they became puerulus larvae and more resemble the matured lobsters but on a tiny level – around 21 millimetres in length. The puerulus larvae will settle in shallower water and will moult several more times until they become recognisably spiny lobsters at 10 centimetres in length. Once a year the lobsters will moult and increase in size; once again how much they increase in size depends on the availability of food and warmth of the water. At around five years the lobsters become sexually mature and can begin a new generation. Rubbing the base of their antennae to attract a mate, this creates a creaking sound, and the successful males will release their sperm over the thousands of red eggs produced by the females (males have to literally rip one of their legs off to do this). This happens between September and October and the mother will carry the eggs on her for around six months before moving herself into deeper water to eject the eggs which are now ready to hatch.
When fully grown European spiny lobsters reach around 40 centimetres at their largest, although there are several examples of individuals reaching up to 60 centimetres in length. As the lobsters have to moult to increase their size their upper limit is hindered by their own ability, or inability, to successfully moult their shells. They are fairly long lived having a potential lifespan of 25 years. European spiny lobsters are a reddish-brown colour with yellow or white spots on the side which has given them the name of ‘red lobsters’. Spiny lobsters do resemble lobsters but there are several key biological differences. Instead of the large claws of true lobsters the European spiny lobster has two hook-like claws. As expected from their name they are also spiny, small but sharp spines cover the carapace, antennae, and larger appendages.
Some decapods are known for migrating and European spiny lobsters do migrate to an extent. Normally the adults are found in more shallow water but the females will migrate to deeper water as their eggs develop and will return to shallower water when the eggs are about to hatch. In colder climates the lobsters will also migrate to deeper waters during the winter, the Irish populations do this as an example. The lobsters are nocturnal and will remain in their shelters during the day, and then come out at night to forage. While the adults are largely solitary the juveniles are gregarious and will often socialise or even share shelters. This is a potential safety measure to protect the smaller lobsters from predators. They can also pick up pheromones emitted by predators, like octopi, which can give them a forewarning to any threats that they cannot physically see.
Distribution and Habitat
European spiny lobsters have a wide distribution with them being found as far north as Norway and as far south as Morocco and the Azores. They are also found across the Medieterranean which has also earned them the name ‘Mediterranean red lobster’, ‘Mediterranean spiny lobster’, and ‘Mediterranean lobster’. While the larvae are found in open, deep water this is not the case for the juveniles and adults. The deepest that adults and juveniles are found is around 260 metres, except for the females when their eggs are developing who will go down to beyond 400 metres. Their need for places to hide away limits where they can live, so the lobsters are found in rocky reefs and subtidal rocks.
Diet and Predators
European spiny lobsters have a very diverse diet and will sort of eat anything that it can break up and get into its mouth. This ranges from algae and sea plants, to zooplankton, the larvae of other animals, dead animals, and worms. They themselves can even be the habitat for other organisms with some barnacles, oysters, algae, and anemones growing on their shells. Many animals do also eat spiny lobsters. Different fish species, sharks, seals, and humans all eat spiny lobsters. They are mostly fished in the Mediterranean but there is also a Scottish fishing industry surrounding spiny lobsters.
Conservation and Threats
The IUCN last evaluated the European spiny lobster in 2013 and gave it a ‘Vulnerable’ rating with a grim forewarning that its numbers were decreasing. The overwhelming factor behind this is overfishing. Especially as it takes spiny lobsters five years to reach sexual maturity, a large number being taken from the population can cause very lasting damages – European spiny lobsters will only mate with another that is the same size as it, so it will further impact the sexually mature population. Commerical destruction of reefs further endangers it as they lose their habitat, and climate change causing sea currents to shift also impacts the timing of their reproduction. There have only been indirect conservation methods implemented to help the lobsters, such as the creation of Marine Protected Zones in the UK which helps the lobsters, but there has been no specific legislation or actions for the spiny lobster. This oversight may seriously harm their numbers in years to come.
Bibliography:
- ‘Common spiny lobster’, IUCN Red List, (13/09/2013), [Accessed 13/05/2023]
- ‘Spiny lobster’, The Wildlife Trusts, [Accessed 13/05/2023]
- ‘European spiny lobster’, NatureScot, [Accessed 13/05/2023]
- E. Gibson-Hall, A. Jackson, and C. Marshall, ‘European Spiny Lobster’, Marine Life Information Network, (13/11/2020), [Accessed 14/05/2023]
- E. Hunter, ‘Biology of the European Spiny Lobster, Palinurus elephas, (Fabricus, 1787), (Decapoda: Palinuridae)’, Crustaceana, 72:6, (1999), 545-565
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