Spiny lobster
Palinurus elephas
Sighting evidence at Grotta Azzurra, Ustica Island
Photo: Albertini maridom · CC BY-NC
Grotta Azzurra's dark recesses shelter a resident population of European spiny lobster, animals that have grown large under the protection of the marine reserve. They feed nocturnally on sea urchins, bivalves, and detritus, and during the day are reliably found tucked under ledges and within the deeper cave passages. Ustica's reserve has allowed spiny lobster to reach sizes — antennae exceeding 50 cm — that are effectively unseen in fished zones across the rest of the Mediterranean.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Spiny lobster is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.