European lobster

Crustacean

Identification & Biology

• IdentificationA large, powerfully built lobster with a dark blue to navy body, two massive front claws of unequal size (one for crushing, one for cutting), and long red antennae. The carapace is smooth and rounded. Colour changes to bright orange-red when cooked.
• SizeBody length up to 60 cm. Weight up to 6 kg, though most are smaller. Claws can account for a large portion of body weight.
• Social HabitSolitary and territorial. Lives in a burrow or crevice and defends it aggressively. Mainly nocturnal, emerging to hunt at night.
• HabitatRocky reefs, boulder fields, and any hard substrate with crevices and holes for shelter. Avoids open sandy areas.
• Depth0 to 150 m. Most common between 5 and 50 m.
• Feeds OnCrabs, mussels, sea urchins, starfish, worms, and small fish. Uses the larger crushing claw to break open hard-shelled prey.
• DistributionEastern Atlantic from northern Norway to Morocco, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Present but uncommon in Maltese waters due to fishing pressure.
• DescriptionHomarus gammarus is the largest crustacean in the Mediterranean and one of the most sought-after by fishers. A single large individual can live for over 50 years. In Malta, it is encountered occasionally on night dives in rocky areas with good crevice habitat. Populations have declined across much of Europe due to overfishing, though the species is not yet formally listed as threatened.