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Jasus lalandii |
| Jasus lalandii | ||||||||||||||||
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A J. lalandii individual missing its antennae
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||
| Jasus lalandii (H.Milne-Edwards, 1837) |
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| Synonyms | ||||||||||||||||
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Palinurus lalandii H. Milne-Edwards, 1837 |
Jasus lalandii (also called the Cape rock lobster or West Coast rock lobster) is a species of spiny lobster found off the coast of Southern Africa. It is not known whom the specific epithet lalandii commemorates, although it may be the French astronomer Jérôme Lalande .1
J. lalandii occurs in shallow waters from Cape Cross, Namibia to Algoa Bay, South Africa, straddling the Cape of Good Hope. It may be found as deep as 46 m and is usually found on rocky bottoms .2
J. lalandii may grow up to a total length of 46 cm (18 in), with a carapace length of 18 cm (7 in). It is widely caught for its meat, with over 6,500 t being caught annually in lobster pots and hoop nets .2 In order to prevent overfishing, individual fishing quotas are allocated by the Republic of South Africa to fishermen and companies, totalling 1,700 t .3 There is also a closed season from 1 June to 15 November, a size limit of 80 mm (carapace length) and a ban on catching ovigerous females (females which are brooding their eggs) .4