Homarus gammarus, known as the
European lobster or
common lobster, is a species of
clawed lobster from the eastern
Atlantic Ocean,
Mediterranean Sea and parts of the
Black Sea. It is closely related to the
American lobster,
H. americanus. It may grow to a length of and a mass of , and bears a conspicuous pair of
claws. In life, the lobsters are blue, only becoming "lobster red" on cooking.
Mating occurs in the summer, producing
eggs which are carried by the females for up to a year before hatching into
planktonic larvae.
Homarus gammarus is a highly esteemed food, and is widely
caught using
lobster pots, mostly around the
British Isles.