9/B – Common spiony lobster - Palinurus elephas

Two long antennae are the unmistakable trade mark of this decapod that lives on rocky beds from a few meters deep up to over seventy. It is perhaps the best-known shellfish, at least for gourmets! It has a dark red shell with stings; the first pair of legs has small pincers. The maximum length is around 50 cm. In winter it is easier to meet the females that carry their eggs under their abdomen.