Crustaceans
Lobster (Homarus Gammarus)
The lobster is the largest crustacean of all. The body is dark blue in colour. It has seven rings on the abdomen, and two different large claws at the end. It grows very slowly and feeds off cuttlefish, squid and octopus and so on. It inhabits rocky or cliff areas and is usually caught using special lobster pots.
Common Crab (Cancer Pagurus)
The shell of this crustacean is oval in shape, and smooth and reddish-brown in colour. The shell measures between 10 and 2cm in length and it may weigh more than 3 kilos. It has five pairs of claws, the first pair with two pincers. The abdomen is not as big in the male. It feeds off invertebrates and starfish. It usually inhabits sandy and rocky areas.
Prawns (Palaemon Serratus)
This common prawn is a crustacean classified as a decapod. It is almost transparent, and is greenish-brown in colour with several dark lines along the abdomen. Average size is usually 10cm in length. It resides in shallow rocky and sandy areas near the shore where it feeds off plants and smaller animals. It is captured using cages and hand nets.
Spiny Spider Crab (Maia Squinado)
This crab is classified as a decapod crustacean. It has a thick shell and lives very close to the coast, in sandy and rocky bottoms. Those that come from Galicia are dark in colour and have small sea weed stuck on to the shell and long claws with con hair-like structures. The meat is juicy and tender. The closed season is in summer. They are usually caught using hanging cages or by underwater fishing.
Atlantic Spiny Spider Crab (Maja Brachydactyla)
This is also a decapod crustacean with a dark red shell covered with spines which seaweed and sponges etc. stick to and act as camouflage. It is round at the back and triangular at the front. It has five pairs of claws. It feeds on starfish, algae, sea urchins, and others. They can weigh more than 4 kilos. The abdomen in the male is not as large as in the female. It resides in rocky or sandy bottoms near the shoreline.
Norway Lobster (Nephrops Norvegicus)
The Norway Lobster is a decapod crustacean. It is medium-sized, reaching 20 to 24 cm in length. Its shell is pink with reddish tinges and white parts. The head is long; it has spines at the side and pincers on the two front claws. It feeds on annelids, molluscs and dead fish. It resides at depths of between 50 and 700m, in sandy or muddy bottoms. It is captured by trawling or using lobster pots.
Spiny Lobster (Palinurus Elephas)
This crustacean has a solid body which is bright red or purple in colour with yellow spots on the abdomen. It usually measures 23 cm. It feeds on algae, molluscs, organic remains, etc. They are usually found in rocky, sandy or muddy bottoms. They are caught manually or using special lobster pots.
Camarote Prawn (Penaeus kerathurus)
Also a decapod, this crustacean lives in deep waters. The shell varies in colour from pink to brown. In some species the abdomen is crossed with a series of stripes which are lighter in the male than the female. It is related to prawns and shrimp.
Velvet Swimming Crab (Macropipus Puber)
This small crab is a crustacean and its shell is hexagonal in shape and a dark reddish colour. The males and females are distinguished by the shape of their abdomen. In the males it is triangular while it is wider and rounder in the females. The front claws are shaped like pincers but they are flat at the back to facilitate swimming. They live in sandy, stony or and rocky bottoms at depths of up to 70m. They are caught at night, usually with hanging cages but also with other traditional local fishing methods called "trasmallo" and "bou de vara".
Goose Barnacles (Pollicipes Pollicipes)
Goose barnacles are a crustacean consisting of a fleshy stalk covered by a black skin with a nail-shaped structure at the end, formed by several plates or shells (up to 25). They are found adhered to rocks, either above sea level or under the water in groups. Those that are found above sea level are more highly valued. They feed on suspended particles in the water. There is a special name for the people who gather this delicacy - "percebeiros". It is a very dangerous job as the barnacles must be taken from cliff areas where the sea is very rough. They are scraped off the rocks using an instrument called a "raspa" or "raspeta".