Vulnerable· population decreasing· assessed 2014

Spiny lobster

Palinurus elephas

Sighting evidence at Grotta Azzurra, Ustica Island

Photo: Claudio Foglini · CC BY-NC-ND

Grotta Azzurra's dark recesses shelter a resident population of European spiny lobster, animals that have grown large under the protection of the marine reserve. They feed nocturnally on sea urchins, bivalves, and detritus, and during the day are reliably found tucked under ledges and within the deeper cave passages. Ustica's reserve has allowed spiny lobster to reach sizes — antennae exceeding 50 cm — that are effectively unseen in fished zones across the rest of the Mediterranean.

Evidence at this site

1 record within 25 km

Confidence: low

Last confirmed Apr 2025

Seasonality

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How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Spiny lobster

Evidence at this site

Seasonality

Also seen at other sites