Description: The crayfish is larger than the lobster, growing to about 600mm in length. It has long antennae but small hook-like claws.

Habitat: Crayfish are found on open exposed rock faces and rocky seabed in the circalittoral and infralittoral zones. Numbers have been severely depleted on most coasts by tangle net fishing.

Distribution: A widespread species on western coasts of the British Isles, becoming rather scarce in Scotland.

Similar Species: The only other large crustacean with a similar shape is the lobster Homarus gammarus.

Key Identification Features:

• Orange coloration.
• Two long antennae.

Distribution Map from NBN: Palinurus elephas at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Palinurus elephas at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Palinurus elephas

WoRMS: Palinurus elephas at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Palinurus elephas (Fabricius, 1787). AphiaID: 107703.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Arthropoda; Crustacea; Multicrustacea; Malacostraca; Eumalacostraca; Eucarida; Decapoda; Pleocyemata; Achelata; Palinuridae; Palinurus