Description: This squat lobster can reach up to 4 cm in length. Has bristles on first pair of legs resembling Galathea strigosa, but lacks the electric blue stripes. Colouration reddish-green with some darker spots. Blue spots on labrum (mouth-part). Front pair of walking legs bear chunky claws of equal length and are bristly/spined.

Habitat: Sublittoral, usually found from 20 m + but occasionally found in shallower depths.

Distribution: Recorded around the coasts of Britain and Northern Ireland. Very few records from Ireland.

Similar Species: Could be confused with Galathea dispersa. Careful inspection of rostrum and antennae to distinguish.

Key Identification Features:

• Bristles on first pair of legs, but without blue stripes of G. strigosa.
• Reddish-green colouration with some lighter spots.
• Blue spots on labrum.
• Rostrum narrower than G. dispersa.
• Antenna bears a spine lacking in G. dispersa.

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

iNaturalist: Galathea nexa at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Galathea nexa at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Galathea nexa Embleton, 1836. AphiaID: 107152.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Arthropoda; Crustacea; Multicrustacea; Malacostraca; Eumalacostraca; Eucarida; Decapoda; Pleocyemata; Anomura; Galatheoidea; Galatheidae; Galathea