Latreille, 1803
Adult members of the decapod Infraorder Palinura are crustaceans with a cylindrical, subovoid, or dorso-ventrally compressed carapace. The group includes the spiny lobsters and slipper lobsters. The abdomen is flattened.
The chelation of the pereiopods varies. The first pereiopod is sometimes chelate, the second to fifth pereiopods are often subchelate.
The pleopods are usually biramous. The first pleopod is frequently absent. The uropods are biramous.
The telson forms a tailfan together with the broad uropods.
The larval development is metamorphic and includes at least eight phyllosoma stages and a puerulus. The characteristic phyllosoma larva has extremely dorso-ventrally flattened head and thorax and small abdomen in early stages; this larva cannot be mistaken if present in plankton samples. The puerulus larva (megalopa, nisto or natant stage) shows general resemblance with the adult.
Ecology
Palinurans are marine. Adults live benthically and are therefore not included in the present system.
Distribution in the North Sea
There are four NE Atlantic palinuran species; only the larva of Palinurus elephas can be expected in the North Sea plankton.
[Description after McLaughlin, 1980; Brusca and Brusca, 1990]