Norway lobster

The Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, (also called Dublin Bay prawn, langoustine or scampo), is a slim, orange-pink lobster which grows up to 24 cm long (9-10 in). It is found in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and North Sea as far north as Iceland and northern Norway, and south to Portugal. It is not common in the Mediterranean Sea except in the Adriatic Sea, notably the north Adriatic.

Norway lobsters are solitary predators, feeding on other animals such as worms and fish.

In December 1995, the commensal Symbion pandora was discovered attached to the mouthparts of a Norway lobster, and was found to be the first member of a new phylum, the Cycliophora.

As food

The tail is muscular and is frequently eaten by humans, often under the name "scampi." Norway lobster is eaten on special occasions in Spain and Portugal, where it is less expensive than the European lobster.

The Norway lobster is an important species for fisheries, being caught mostly by trawling. Around 60,000 tonnes are caught annually, half of it in the United Kingdom's waters.

Discards from Nephrops norvegicus fishery may account for up to 37% of the energy requirements of certain marine scavengers, such as the hagfish Myxine glutinosa. Boats involved in Nephrops fishery also catch a number of fish species such as plaice and sole, and it is thought that without that revenue, Nephrops fishery would be economically unviable.

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