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It is late August and Summer is the period in which many marine organisms prepare for procreation. We have therefore decided to reach a deep Mediterranean coral reef, over 7 miles from the coast, knowing that, with a bit of luck, we will find lobsters. We chose a deep dive because at that depth it is more difficult for fishermen to lower their fishing nets and therefore to be more successful in achieving our “special mission mediterranean spiny lobster”. We were lucky we met many Lobsters in a mediterranean coral reef at over 75 meters deep, the muddy bottom moved by the current has made the water not very transparent; as you can see, however, the reef appears vital and exuberant. missione speciale aragosta
Special mission mediterranean Spiny Lobster – Missione speciale Aragosta – www.intotheblue.it – www.intotheblue.link
The procreation have pushed these crustaceans to gather at the same time and in the same place. Procreation, in fact, occurs at the end of the Summer and in the Winter the larvae are born, which immediately reach the seabed that will host them for the rest of their lives. Palinurus elephas is a spiny lobster, which is commonly present in the Mediterranean Sea. Is a common species of spiny lobster, found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from southern Norway to Morocco and the Azores and in the Mediterranean Sea, except its eastern extremes.
Palinurus elephas in procreation – Aragoste in riproduzione – Palinurus elephas – www.intotheblue.it – www.intotheblue.link
It lives on rocky exposed coasts below theintertidal zone, mainly at depths of 20 to 70 metres. Palinurus elephas may reach up to 60 cm long, although rarely longer than 40 cm, and usually 25–30 centimetres. Few achieve their maximum weight of several kilograms. The adults are reddish-brown with yellow spots. The carapace is slightly compressed and lacks lateral ridges. It is covered with forward pointing spines, with the supraorbital spines prominent. The antennae are very heavy and spiny. Their flagellum is tapering and is even longer than the body. The first walking leg (pereopod) is provided with subchela (the distal end of a limb developed as a prehensile structure). The fourth segment (merus) of this leg has a characteristic row of spines.
Palinurus elephas in procreation – Aragoste in riproduzione – Palinurus elephas – www.intotheblue.it – www.intotheblue.link
It is nocturnal and feeds on small worms, crabs or dead animals, hiding in rock crevices or caves during the day. It is a much sought-after delicacy and is widely caught for food around the Mediterranean Sea, mostly with lobsters pots, and is also caught less intensively off the Atlantic Coasts of Ireland, Portugal, France and England. There are also small fisheries for this species on the west coast of Scotland, employing tangle nets or lobster pots. Aragosta mediterranea intotheblue.it
(extract from Wikipedia)
