Palinurus barbarae

Palinurus barbarae
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Family:	Palinuridae
Genus:	Palinurus
Species:	P. barbarae
Binomial name
Palinurus barbarae Groeneveld, Griffiths & van Dalsen, 2006

Palinurus barbarae is a species of spiny lobster described in 2006, which was found by fishermen working the waters above the Walters Shoals, a series of submerged mountains 700 kilometres (430 mi) south of Madagascar.^[2][3] The animal weighs 4 kilograms (8.8 lb) and reaches up to 40 centimetres (16 in) long excluding the long antennae, and is similar to P. delagoae, found off South Africa, from which it may be differentiated by a number of characters including the larger number of spines.^[4] There are fears that the species, which lives in an area outside any country's jurisdiction, may now be exploited,^[2] or that it has already been brought near to extinction by overfishing.^[3]

References

1. A. Cockcroft (2009). "Palinurus barbarae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 3.1 (3.1). International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
2. "New giant lobster species from the Madagascar Ridge". University of Cape Town. October 9, 2006.
3. John Yeld (September 11, 2006). "Scientists find new giant lobster species". Cape Argus. p. 3.
4. Groeneveld, J. C.; C. L. Griffiths & A. P. van Dalsen (2006). "A new species of spiny lobster, Palinurus barbarae (Decapoda, Palinuridae) from Walters Shoals on the Madagascar Ridge". Crustaceana. 79 (7): 821–833. doi:10.1163/156854006778008177.