82
first pair are greatly enlarged and long. Both abdomen and tail fan well developed
and powerful. All species of this family are deep sea forms and found from 150 to
1893 m. They prefer soft substrates (Chan 1998b).
Homarus americanus (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)
American lobster is the main species of lobster and accounts for about 60% of total
lobster landings. For almost 30 years, the amount of catching has increased from
37,000 tons to 140,000 tons (FAO 2017). It is one of the largest commercial species
in terms of body size. It can be up to 64 cm in male and 61 cm in female. They are
found in large amounts in the depths of 4–50 m. Most of the lobsters are caught on
the shore at a depth of 40–100 m using traps (Squires 1990).
Homarus gammarus (Linnaeus, 1758)
It is known as “European or common lobster”. It is a large crustacean. It has a maximum body length of 60 cm. Adult H. gammarus live on the continental shelf at
depths of 0–150 m, although not normally deeper than 50 m. They prefer hard substrates, such as rocks or hard mud, and live in holes or crevices, emerging at night
to feed. It is mostly fished using lobster pots, sometimes with baited lines. Homarus
gammarus is traditionally “highly esteemed” as a foodstuff. It is sold very high
prices as fresh, frozen, canned or powdered. The price of H. gammarus is up to three
times higher than that of H. americanus, and the European species is more flavoured
(Holthuis 1991). It has a broad geographical. In its northern range, it occurs from
the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway to south-eastern Sweden and Denmark, but
is absent in the Baltic Sea probably due to lowered salinity and temperature
extremes. Its distribution to southwards extends along the mainland European coast
around Britain and Ireland (Prodohl et al. 2007).
Nephrops norvegicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
It is known as the “Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, langoustine”. It is the most
important commercial crustacean in Europe. It lives in muddy seabed sediments,
with more than 40% silt and clay (Bell et al. 2006). It is an important species for
fisheries, being caught mostly by trawling. Around 60,000 tonnes are caught annually, half of it in the United Kingdom’s waters (FAO 2004). It is distributed in the
north-eastern Atlantic Ocean, and parts of the Mediterranean Sea, but is absent from
the Baltic Sea and Black Sea (Bell et al. 2006). Nephrops norvegicus is found in the
north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and North Sea as far north as Iceland and northern
Norway, and south to Portugal. It is not common in the Mediterranean Sea except in
the Adriatic Sea (Davidson 2002).
Family Palinuridae
Body of family members is tubular or dorsoventrally is flattened. Hairs are few and
scattered. Rostrum is absent or reduced to a small spine. Carapace is sub-cylindrical
or prismatic, laterally rounded, or straight. They have a pair of large frontal horns
2 Crustacean Shellfish
first pair are greatly enlarged and long. Both abdomen and tail fan well developed
and powerful. All species of this family are deep sea forms and found from 150 to
1893 m. They prefer soft substrates (Chan 1998b).
Homarus americanus (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)
American lobster is the main species of lobster and accounts for about 60% of total
lobster landings. For almost 30 years, the amount of catching has increased from
37,000 tons to 140,000 tons (FAO 2017). It is one of the largest commercial species
in terms of body size. It can be up to 64 cm in male and 61 cm in female. They are
found in large amounts in the depths of 4–50 m. Most of the lobsters are caught on
the shore at a depth of 40–100 m using traps (Squires 1990).
Homarus gammarus (Linnaeus, 1758)
It is known as “European or common lobster”. It is a large crustacean. It has a maximum body length of 60 cm. Adult H. gammarus live on the continental shelf at
depths of 0–150 m, although not normally deeper than 50 m. They prefer hard substrates, such as rocks or hard mud, and live in holes or crevices, emerging at night
to feed. It is mostly fished using lobster pots, sometimes with baited lines. Homarus
gammarus is traditionally “highly esteemed” as a foodstuff. It is sold very high
prices as fresh, frozen, canned or powdered. The price of H. gammarus is up to three
times higher than that of H. americanus, and the European species is more flavoured
(Holthuis 1991). It has a broad geographical. In its northern range, it occurs from
the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway to south-eastern Sweden and Denmark, but
is absent in the Baltic Sea probably due to lowered salinity and temperature
extremes. Its distribution to southwards extends along the mainland European coast
around Britain and Ireland (Prodohl et al. 2007).
Nephrops norvegicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
It is known as the “Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, langoustine”. It is the most
important commercial crustacean in Europe. It lives in muddy seabed sediments,
with more than 40% silt and clay (Bell et al. 2006). It is an important species for
fisheries, being caught mostly by trawling. Around 60,000 tonnes are caught annually, half of it in the United Kingdom’s waters (FAO 2004). It is distributed in the
north-eastern Atlantic Ocean, and parts of the Mediterranean Sea, but is absent from
the Baltic Sea and Black Sea (Bell et al. 2006). Nephrops norvegicus is found in the
north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and North Sea as far north as Iceland and northern
Norway, and south to Portugal. It is not common in the Mediterranean Sea except in
the Adriatic Sea (Davidson 2002).
Family Palinuridae
Body of family members is tubular or dorsoventrally is flattened. Hairs are few and
scattered. Rostrum is absent or reduced to a small spine. Carapace is sub-cylindrical
or prismatic, laterally rounded, or straight. They have a pair of large frontal horns
2 Crustacean Shellfish