European spiny lobster
Palinurus elephas
Sighting evidence at Neptune's Grotto, Capo Carbonara
Photo: Albertini maridom · CC BY-NC
European spiny lobsters shelter in the deep fissures and overhangs within the grotto, emerging at night to forage across the surrounding reef for molluscs, sea urchins, and carrion. They are critical scavengers and predators in Mediterranean benthic ecosystems, and their populations have recovered markedly within marine reserves compared to fished areas. Divers regularly spot their characteristic long antennae protruding from crevices in the cave walls.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
European spiny lobster is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.