Analysis of the activity of Odontodactylus scyllarus in seawater was performed to achieve the bioinspired design of cleaner interrupted turning. The combination of both the tool surface biomimetic microstructure and the vegetable-oil-based nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) constituted the main part of the cleaner interrupted turning. Thus, the present work separately analyzed the effects of the biomimetic microstructure, the vegetable-oil-based nanofluid MQL and the combination of them on specific cutting energy and harmful gas emission. The biomimetic microstructure and the vegetableoil-based nanofluid MQL were found to efficiently reduce specific cutting energy compared to conventional dry turning. The analysis results showed that the vegetable-oil-based nanofluid MQL caused greater reduction of specific cutting energy. The vegetable-oil-based nanofluid MQL led to the emission of a small amount of harmful gas compared to conventional dry turning. However, the harmful gas emission was found to be efficiently reduced when a suitable weight fraction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) existed in the vegetable-oil-based nanofluid. The combination of both the biomimetic microstructure and the vegetable-oil-based nanofluid MQL further decreased specific cutting energy and harmful gas emission. The optimum group of the laser beam angle psi used for microstructure fabrication and the weight fraction Wf of MWCNTs were identified for different modified rake faces. The lowest values of specific cutting energy and harmful gas emission can be obtained when psi was 15 degrees, W-f was 4% and the modified rake face only had modification on flat surface. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.