(Linnaeus, 1758)
Description
Larval phase has four stages. First stage ca. 8 mm length. Pleopods absent, uropods absent; maxillipede 3 and pereiopods 1-5 with exopods; pereiopod 1 chelate; the larva is a good swimmer. Colour dorsal side of carapace blue, yellow and red at lateral sides.
Second stage, ca. 11 mm length; pleopods 2-4 present.
Third stage, ca. 13-14 mm length; pereiopods with reduced exopods.
Fourth stage, ca. 15-17 mm; resembling the adult lobster; pereiopods devoid of exopods; pleopods well developed; the larva is a good swimmer,
The adult is not pelagic and not described here Homarus gammarus. Female carrying eggs for up to two years; incubation of eggs 7-10 months; hatching of larvae preferably in May-June; larva in the plankton for 3-4 weeks.
Size
Larval size 8-18 mm (adult up to 50 cm).
Depth range
Larva pelagic; adult littoral, down to about 60 m on rocky subtrata [H.gammarus-photo ].
Distribution in the North Sea
All North Sea, littoral.
World distribution
Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, from Lofoten (Norway) to Morocco, including Mediterranean and Black Sea.