Palinuridae

Palinuridae [‚pal·ə′nyu̇r·ə‚dē]

(invertebrate zoology)

The spiny lobsters or langoustes, a family of macruran decapod crustaceans belonging to the Scyllaridea.

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Palinuridae 

(spiny lobsters), a family of animals of the order Decapoda. These decapods, which are distributed in warm seas, resemble lobsters of the genera Homarus and Nephrops but lack chelae. The body, which measures up to 60 cm long, and the thick antennae are covered with powerful spines. These edible lobsters are commercially valuable. The principal commercial species are the European langouste (Palinurus vulgaris), P. argus, P. interruptus, P. japonicus, and the cape crawfish (Jasus lolandei). The European langouste is found in the the Atlantic coastal waters of Europe and in the Mediterranean Sea. P. interruptus is distributed in the Pacific Ocean, near California and Mexico. P. argus occupies the American coastal waters of the Atlantic. P. japonicus is found near Japan, and /. lolandei near southern Africa, southern Australia, and New Zealand. The lobsters are caught with stationary nets and basket traps.