The European lobster (Lat. Homarus gammarus). It lives on the continental shelf at depths of 0–150 metres, although not normally deeper than 50 m. It prefers hard substrates, such as rocks or hard mud and lives in holes or crevices. It is a large crustacean, with a body length up to 60 centimetres (24 in) (usually 23-38 cm) and weighing up to 5–6 (usually 0.7-2.2) kilograms. It has a hard exoskeleton which it must shed in order to grow, in a process called ecdysis (molting). The first pair of pereiopods is armed with a large, asymmetrical pair of feet. The larger one is the “crusher”, and has rounded nodules used for crushing prey; the other is the “cutter”, which has sharp inner edges, and is used for holding or tearing the prey. The diet mostly consists of benthic invertebrates, such as crabs, molluscs, sea urchins, starfish and polychaete worms. It is traditionally “highly esteemed” as a foodstuff.