Palinurus is a genus of spiny lobsters in the family Palinuridae, native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and western Indian Ocean. A 110-million-year-old fossil, recognisable as a member of the genus Palinurus, was discovered in a quarry in El Espinal in Mexico's Chiapas state in 1995 and named P. palaciosi.
Species This is a complete list of extant species:
Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Palinurus barbarae Groeneveld, Griffiths & van Dalsen, 2006 south of Madagascar Palinurus charlestoni Forest & Postel, 1964 Cape Verde spiny lobster Cape Verde Palinurus delagoae Barnard, 1926 Natal spiny lobster Palinurus elephas (Fabricius, 1787) common spiny lobster eastern Atlantic Ocean, from southern Norway to Morocco and the Azores, and in the Mediterranean Sea Palinurus gilchristi Stebbing, 1900 southern spiny lobster South Africa and Madagascar. Palinurus mauritanicus Gruvel, 1911 pink spiny lobstereastern Atlantic Ocean and the western Mediterranean Sea.
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