One of the 4 spiny lobsters on WAnimals
Malacostracans · Decapoda · Palinuridae
Common Spiny Lobster
Palinurus elephas
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
Unlike the European lobster it has no large front claws, but a pair of long spiny antennae it uses in defence.
Weight
up to 5 kg
Size
up to 50 cm
Lifespan
17 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- Unlike the lobster it has no large claws: it defends itself with long spiny antennae.
- Its phyllosoma larval stage can last several months adrift in the ocean before it settles.
- The eggs are carried by the female, attached under her abdomen.
- comunicaciónIt can make sounds audible underwater by rubbing stiff structures on its antennae against its shell, a mechanism called stridulation.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Invertebrate - calcified chitin exoskeleton, renewed by moulting
- Habitat & environment
- Rocky bottoms of the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, between 20 and 200 m deep, favouring caves and crevices
- Birth weight
- A microscopic planktonic phyllosoma larva after hatching
- Size at birth
- A microscopic phyllosoma larva with a long planktonic life
- Sexual maturity
- 4-5 years, on reaching roughly 20 cm in total length
- Gestation / incubation
- No gestation; the female carries the eggs for several months before they hatch
- Litter / clutch size
- Tens of thousands of eggs per clutch, carried stuck to the female's abdomen
Sources consulted: FAO Species Catalogue (referencia general de langostas Palinuridae); SeaLifeBase; fuentes combinadas sobre biología de langostas espinosas del Mediterráneo y Atlántico este
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 20 de 97 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Common Spiny Lobster — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
VulnerableOcean Sunfish
Mola mola
VulnerableMediterranean Monk Seal
Monachus monachus
Marbled Electric Ray
Torpedo marmorata
Porbeagle
Lamna nasus
VulnerableGrayfish
Alopias vulpinus
Blue Marlin
Makaira nigricans
How to help
The common spiny lobster is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 16 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about common spiny lobster.
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