Mediterranean slipper lobster

Biology

Adults can grow to a total body length of 45 centimetres. Its colouration is a good camouflage for the rocky bottoms where it lives. They have no claws, and have a second par of antennae which forms very wide lobes. It is a nocturnal species, emerging from caves and other shelters during the night to feed on molluscs.

Conservation

This species has been subject to intense harvesting, therefore further data is needed on the status of stocks at the present time, before management strategies can be implemented.

Curiosities

Since the slipper lobster has no claws or spines to repel predators, when confronted it clings tightly to the substrate. Larger lobsters can exert a grip with a force of up to 150 newtons (equivalent to a weight of 15 kilograms).