European spiny crawfish
Basic information |
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European spiny crawfish
Basic information |
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| Phylum: | Crustacea | Crustaceans | ||
| Class: | Eumalacostraca | Crabs, shrimps and lobsters | ||
| Authority: | Fabricius, 1787 | |||
| Recent synonyms: | Palinurus vulgaris | |||
| Recorded British Isles Distribution: | The main populations are confined to the west and north coasts of Scotland, and the extreme south-west coasts of England, Wales and Ireland. Only occasional occurences are noted from elsewhere. | |||
| Habitat information: | Lives subtidally on rocky, often very exposed coasts in the circalittoral zone. | |||
| Description: | A large spiny lobster, growing up to 600mm in total length, with a stout, heavily armoured body. It has numerous sharp spines on the carapace, over much of the abdomen and on the larger appendages. It has an orange colouration with two long antennae and small hook-like claws. | |||