Palinurus elephas and Palinurus mauritanicus are the only species of the family Palinuridae that occur in the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean. Of the two, Palinurus elephas is the most abundant and accessible and has traditionally been the preferred target of lobster fisheries throughout its range. Palinurus mauritanicus has a deeper distribution and has been an important target of fisheries mainly in the Central Eastern Atlantic. The high unit value and the relative scarcity of these species have been important obstacles to research and knowledge of their biology, ecology and fisheries is limited. Nevertheless, over time a considerable number of studies has been conducted, though most of these are contained in university theses or in publications of limited circulation. This review is an up-to-date overview of available knowledge on the biology, ecology and fisheries of the two spiny lobster species of European waters.