Head to head
European Lobster vs Norway Lobster
European Lobster
VS Norway Lobster
The European lobster and the Norway lobster are both clawed lobsters of the north-eastern Atlantic, and both end up on seafood menus, but they live in very different places and look very different.
| European Lobster | Norway Lobster | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Homarus gammarus | Nephrops norvegicus |
| Relationship | A clawed lobster, in the same family as the Norway lobster | A smaller clawed lobster, in the same family as the European lobster |
| Colour | Mottled blue-black in life, turning red only when cooked | A pale orange-pink body with kidney-shaped black eyes |
| Claws | One heavy crusher claw for smashing shells and one slimmer cutter claw for tearing food | Long, narrow, slender claws |
| Size | A large animal that grows slowly and can live for several decades | Usually 15 to 25 cm long |
| Habitat | Holes and crevices on rocky seabeds, from the shore to deep water, hunting at night | Burrows dug into soft mud on the seabed, emerging around dusk and at night to feed |
| Fishery | Fished with baited pots, with minimum sizes and protection for egg-carrying females | One of the most valuable shellfish fisheries in Europe, mostly caught by trawl, and sold whole or as scampi |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, with local stocks managed by size limits and protected areas | Least Concern, with stocks fished heavily and managed with quotas |
European Lobster vs Norway Lobster: common questions
Which one is scampi?
Scampi is the name for the tails of the Norway lobster, which is also sold whole as langoustine.
Why is a lobster blue before cooking?
The European lobster is mottled blue-black in life, and turns red when cooked because heat destroys the proteins that mask its red pigment.
Which one lives in burrows?
The Norway lobster, which digs burrows in soft mud on the seabed, while the European lobster lives in crevices on rocky seabeds.