Morphologically speaking, the "lobster DOES NOT have the frontal LARGE CHELES instead characteristic of the lobsters (crustaceans belonging to the Species Hommarus); despite this, and although they are different in family and genus, lobster and lobster are frequently confused the one with the high, probably due to the shrimp-like shape and the considerable size that both can reach. However, both from the zoological point of view (morphology and classification) and from the commodity point of view (fishing and price), the two crustaceans are extremely different.
Mediterranean lobsters: various species
Lobster is a Crustacean marine Decapod you belong to the family of Palinuride and the Genre Palinurus; the most renowned species is said P. elephas or Mediterranean lobster. Ultimately, the binomial nomenclature of the common lobster is Palinurus elephas, also known as synonyms for Palinurus vulgaris And Palinurus quadricornis.
The Mediterranean lobster is NOT the only lobster species present in the basin; in fact, they also colonize the depths of the Mediterranean Sea Palinurus mauritanicus (white lobster), la Palinurus ornatus and the Palinurus regius (green lobster).
Mediterranean lobster
The Mediterranean lobster can reach up to 50cm in length and a weight of about 8kg; it has a tapered body, similar to that of a shrimp, differentiated into:
- Head: which protects the brain and organs (with the exception of the intestine); it is linked to legs, two long antennae, two toothed spines in the shape of a "V" with a defensive function and the eyes (there are no claws).
- Body: consisting of six segments that cover the large muscle (mainly responsible for escape) and ending with a fan-shaped tail.
On the outside, the lobster is protected by a thick spiny carapace, pigmented in reddish brown with brownish or dark yellow streaks.
The lobster is a crustacean that can reach very advanced ages and, by virtue of its characteristic of growing continuously, it is not uncommon for specimens even close to half a meter in length to be caught.
The lobster colonizes the entire Mediterranean basin and the eastern Atlantic Ocean; it lives on rocky or algae bottoms characterized by burrows and tunnels, with depths of at least 20m and up to 100m. The lobster is a gregarious and sedentary animal, therefore it is not uncommon for it to form real colonies in the most suitable and nourishing areas; the lobster's diet consists essentially of: plankton, algae, other invertebrates, small fish and other crustaceans.
White lobster
The description of the "white lobster (P. mauritanicus) it does not differ much from that of the Mediterranean lobster, however, it is distinguished from the latter by the ability to reach considerably larger dimensions (up to 75cm). The white lobster has smaller, spaced spines that are not separated by a V-shaped space. It lives at greater depths and colonizes depths ranging from 200 to 600m. It is less common than the Mediterranean lobster.
Green lobster
L "green lobster (Palinurus regius) is opaque, green-blue and edged with yellow; it is mostly caught on the African coasts and in greater quantities than the Mediterranean or the white one. The green lobster has a tail (which we remember to contain the pulp) less developed than the others and, also for this reason, it boasts a lower cost on the market.
Palinurus ornatus
There Palinurus ornatus it is extremely rare in the Mediterranean and mainly colonizes the Indian ocean coasts; in the basin it can be found near the Israeli coasts where it makes long migrations towards the Red Sea (migration lessepsian); this lobster has even longer blue and yellow spotted antennas, as well as the legs, and lives on sandy bottoms from 10 to 50m of depth.
Lobster - fishing and biology
The lobster is an extremely valuable crustacean. Since ancient times, lobster has been fished and destined for consumption by the upper middle class even if, in some historical periods, it has also been attributed negative meanings. "lobster represents the most coveted fishery product of all and, as can be deduced, this has led to an intensive harvest. All species of lobster are fished with the trammel net or pot method, which in themselves do not have an environmental impact particularly harmful. On the other hand, the lobster is a sedentary and gregarious species, therefore the identification of even a single specimen can determine the concentration of the sample and the consequent killing of an entire colony.
According to the Bern Convention - Appendix III (law no. 503 of 5 August 1981), the "Mediterranean lobster is a protected species; moreover, as foreseen by article 132 of Presidential Decree 1639/68, the "Mediterranean lobster is subject to stop fishing in the period" from January 1st to April 30th, when it is likely to reach reproductive maturity. Fortunately, the lobster is a species subject to breeding, from which most of the specimens available on the market come from.
Lobster: purchase and preparation
The purchase of the lobster requires all the specific precautions of the other crustaceans; by virtue of its precocious perishability, even the lobster needs to be consumed close to its death, after which a very fast process of liberation of nitrogen groups starts (perceptible with a more or less intense aroma of ammonia). This means that, for eat a good lobster, this should be bought "alive" even if (remember once again) there is no obligation to cook it alive; it is also logical that, in case you want to prepare it boiled, suppressing it with the use of a knife means compromising the content of physiological liquids contained in the head (rich in flavor). However, I believe that it can however be a suitable solution to avoid unnecessary suffering to the animal to be cooked.
Frozen lobsters are very popular, even if - like (and even more so) the rest of crustaceans - they do not have the same taste as fresh.
The lobster is suitable for all preparations but, by virtue of its delicate and characteristic flavor, it is advisable to consume it: raw, boiled or better still steamed. Other cooking methods would greatly compromise the organoleptic and gustatory characteristics of the product.
Nutritional characteristics
The lobster has a very large amount of waste and the edible part is limited to less than 1/3 of the total.
Lobster is rich in high biological value proteins, is low in lipids (most of which are polyunsaturated fats or good fats) and contains traces of sugars; lobster is an absolutely low-calorie protein food and is also suitable for diets slimming food. On the other hand, due to the relative cholesterol content, it is not an advisable food for the diet against hypercholesterolemia.
Lobster is rich in water-soluble vitamins, especially thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, but the values for fat-soluble vitamins are not available; lobster may also be rich in equivalent retinol.
The iron content is discreet and "should" also provide good amounts of potassium (value not available).
The lobster shell is rich in chitosan, a polysaccharide industrially treated with alkaline solutions in order to obtain the chitin; this last molecule, frequently used in the formulation of food supplements, should boast the characteristic of binding dietary fats and preventing their intestinal absorption. The actual results of this application are however inconclusive.
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
Bibliography:
- Fauna of the Mediterranean - G. Nikiforos - Joints - page 148
- Food composition tables - INRAN (National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition).
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