(Linnaeus, 1758)
Description
Larval phase with three stages, recognisable by the abdominal spines and the shape of the telson.
First stage, about 6.5 mm length. All pereiopods present, each with exopods; pleopods absent. Pereiopods 1-3 chelate. Abdominal segments with conspiciuos dorsal spines, last segment with paired spines; telson produced into a pair of long, serrated spines.
Second stage, about 8 mm length; pleopods become developed.
Third stage, about 10 mm; pleopods and uropods well developed.
The adult is not pelagic and not described here Nephrops norvegicus. Female incubation period 7-8 months; larval hatching from April to August. Larvae are pelagic during ca. four weeks.
Size
Larval length 6-10 mm.
Depth range
Larva pelagic. Adult in shallow burrows in soft sediments; sublittoral to about 800 m [N.norvegicus-photo ].
Distribution in the North Sea
Northern and central North Sea; also Skagerrak and Kattegat.
Distribution
From N Norway and Iceland to Morocco and Mediterranean.