Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Crustacea

Subclass: Malacostraca

Order: Decapoda

Suborder: Pleocyemata

Infraorder: Astacidea

Family: Nephropidae

Scientific name: Nephrops norvegicus

 

Norwegian: sjøkreps, rekekonge

(Lyngenfjorden - Nord-Trøndelag / 26 metes / 8.07.2008)

Distribution: The Norway lobster is common as far north as Nordland. It may be encountered already at 15 meters depth, but is more frequent in deeper waters, between 40 and 800 meters. They live in shallow burrows in soft sediments.

Characteristics: This is a small lobster, not exceeding 25 cm, including the claws. The first three pair of legs have claws. The first pair of legs are elongated with spiny ridges. The shell of the head and thorax (body) is not segmented, while the tail is divided into six segments. The color is orange or red. The rostrum (the spine in its forehead) has as many as five spines on each side.

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