Crustacean
Norway lobster
Nephrops nephrops
(IVa) Northern North Sea, (IVb) Central North Sea, (VIa) West of Scotland, (VIIIa) Bay of Biscay - North, (VIIIb) Bay of Biscay - Central
Zones de pêche
Wild
Origine
9 cm (intero)
Taille minimale
Description
It is a decapod crustacean with a slender, rigid body. It has very long, narrow claws with a quadrangular cross-section, lined with rows of spines. Its eyes are large, black, and kidney-shaped (hence the genus name Nephrops, which means “kidney eye”). They are highly sensitive to light. Its color is a consistent salmon-orange or pinkish-orange, which does not really change when cooked (unlike gray shrimp). Its average size ranges from 10 to 15 cm, but it can reach a maximum length of 24 to 25 cm (excluding antennae).
Habitat
It is a benthic, sedentary species that inhabits the continental shelf and slope. It lives exclusively on compact mud or silt bottoms, where it digs complex, tunnel-like burrows (sometimes with multiple exits). It spends most of the day sheltered in its burrow and emerges mainly at dawn or dusk to feed on small crustaceans, worms, and mollusks. It is generally found between 20 and 800 meters deep, but is most abundant between 100 and 300 meters deep.
Distribution
It is extremely abundant in the North Sea, the Irish Sea, and the Bay of Biscay (particularly in the Grande Vasière off the coast of Brittany). It is also found in the Adriatic Sea, but is absent from the Black Sea and the central Baltic Sea. It is also found from Iceland and northern Norway to the coast of Morocco.