Differentiates lobster and crayfish 

The name granseola comes from the Venetian granso (crab) and seola (onion). It is a crustacean and is the largest quality of crab in size as well as being one of the most delicious like lobster. It has a shape attributable to that of a spider: the body resembles the shape of a heart covered with tubercles, has 4 pairs of long and thin legs that it uses to move, two claws of the same thickness as the legs that it uses to grasp prey and defend itself from external attacks and 2 slightly lighter front cuneiform teeth. The difference between the male and female spider crab is mainly for the size and shape of the tail: the male is larger than the female and the tail is long and thin while in the female it is flat because it is functional to the deposition of eggs. Both females and males are brownish with shades of red and both covered with very hard hairs especially during the mating period. It is a crustacean with large dimensions compared to the characteristics of the species, in fact it can reach 25 cm in length, 18 cm in width and 500 g in weight.

Lobster: sea crayfish ( Homarus vulgaris ), turquoise in color with yellow spots and with large claws, much sought after for its exquisite meat.

If we asked you what differentiates lobster and crayfish, would you be able to answer this? Many are convinced that they can correctly identify one and the other, based on the idea that they are part of the same species and that only the sex changes. Often, in fact, it is believed that the lobster is simply the "male" of the lobster. However, this idea is absolutely false!

So, what is the real difference between lobster and crayfish and how can we enhance them in the kitchen?

It is true, therefore, that both are decapod crustaceans, but they belong to two different families. In particular, the lobster is part of the Nephropidae and has a characteristic that allows, even to an untrained eye, to recognize it quickly: the claws. In fact, it is equipped with chelated legs to hunt and to defend itself from other predators. Normally it is dark brown with yellow spots on the belly; in some cases it also has blue spots on the back, while completely bluish lobsters are now very rare. They live between 50 and 150 meters deep and, in Europe, are widespread mainly in the North Sea and, more rarely, in the Mediterranean. The most common type of lobster on the market, however, is not the European one but the American one, cheaper and considered less tasty than the other variant. In any case, in the refrigerated counter of the market or in aquariums, we find the lobster with its claws tied and so we readily know how to recognize it and distinguish it from wolfish.

Crustacean belonging to the family of the Palinuridae, the lobster is light-reddish in color and lives in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It is estimated that it can live up to the venerable age of 80 years, always growing because it can get to change the carapace even a hundred times. Much appreciated by palates all over the world, the culinary success of lobster also represents the most concrete threat to its survival. The problem is widespread to the point that the crustacean has been included as a protected species in Appendix III of the Berne Convention that regulates the conservation of European wildlife and its biotopes.

The lobster is part of the Nephropidae is a superfamily of decapod crustaceans. Although several other groups of crustaceans have the word "lobster" in their names, the unqualified term "lobster" generally refers to the clawed lobsters of the family Nephropidae. Clawed lobsters are not closely related to spiny lobsters or slipper lobsters, which have no claws (chelae), or to squat lobsters. The most similar living relatives of clawed lobsters are the reef lobsters and the three families of freshwater crayfish.

The spiny lobsters belonging to the Palinuridae family, the lobster

Palinurus is a genus of spiny lobsters in the family Palinuridae, native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and western Indian Ocean. Spiny Lobsters are found worldwide in temperate and tropical seas from the intertidal zone to depths as great as 300 m (984 feet). They are found as solitary individuals or in groups of several individuals. They take shelter during the day in caves, crevices and overhangs and emerge at night for feeding on top of the reef or on soft substrate navigating by magnetic field, smell and taste and consume algae, annelids, bivalves, carrion, crabs, gastropods, sea cucumbers, sea grasses, sea hares, and sea urchins. In turn they are preyed upon by fish, octopus and marine mammals. The Palinuridae Family has 60 global species of which 4 are found along Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

These crustaceans go by many names, including mountain lobsters, crawfish, freshwater lobsters, mudbugs, and crawdads. Crayfish, breathe through feather-like gills, and some species cannot survive in polluted water, but others are stronger. Crawfish are omnivores and eat plants, animals, and detritus. There are over 540 crawfish species in the world, with 330 species in North America alone, but they differ in size and appearance. These crustaceans are generally nocturnal and mainly feed on insect larvae, snails, amphibian tadpoles, and worms. In addition, they can feed on the vegetation in their habitats.

Differences between a crayfish and a lobster

A lobster has two large pincers or claws while a crayfish doesn't. A crayfish is reddish in color while a lobster is bluish, greenish or brownish. When it comes to flavor, crayfish is more subtle while lobster is usually more intense. When a lobster is cooked, it loses all its color pigmentation apart from the color red, and for this reason, it changes color during cooking. If you can put them together and compare them in size, you'll notice that lobsters (in general) are longer than crayfish. Do not be fooled with lobsters with no claws, though they may be referred to as crayfish, this is a common misuse of the term.