Palinurus is a genus of lobsters in the family Palinuridae, native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the western Indian Ocean. A 110 million year old fossil, recognizable as a member of the genus Palinurus, was discovered in a quarry in El Espinal, Chiapas state, Mexico, in 1995 and named P. palacesi.
Classification of Palinurus
| Taxonomic Rank | Name | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia | Multicellular eukaryotes |
| Phylum | Arthropoda | Segmented invertebrates with jointed appendages |
| Subphylum | Crustacea | Mostly aquatic arthropods with exoskeleton |
| Class | Malacostraca | Largest class of crustaceans with ten legs (decapods) |
| Order | Decapoda | Ten-legged crustaceans including shrimps and crabs |
| Suborder | Pleocyemata | Branched gills and distinct reproductive traits |
| Family | Palinuridae | |
| Genus | Palinurus |
Habit and habitat
Palinurus is a marine crustacean.
Distribution
It is found in Europe and Asia.
Comments on Palinurus
- Commonly called as marine rock lobster or spiny lobster.
- Palinurus Body is either not compressed or is dorsoventrally compressed and differentiated into cephalothorax and abdomen.
- It differs from other crayfishes and lobsters in having a small spine-like rostrum over cephalothorax.
- Cephalic appendages are antennae, antennules and eyes. Antenna sac is absent and antennae are much elongated.
- Abdominal appendages are fan-like, but the first abdominal segment is without appendages.
- The abdomen is long and extended and ending in a tail fan.
- The pleura of second abdominal segment do not usually overlap those in front.
- Meat of the lobster is very delicious and very much sought after.
- Larva is called as Phyllosoma, which is a broad and thin schizopod larva.
Special features
The rock lobster produces a peculiar sound like creaming of leather by rubbing antennal pad against a sternal keel.
Identification
Since the specimen contains much elongated antennae, fan-shaped abdomen, uropod and all above features, hence it is Palinurus.
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