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Lobster Facts

Lobster Facts
Lobster is an invertebrate that belongs to the crustacean family. There are 49 lobster species that can be found in the oceans all over the world. Lobsters also inhabit fresh and brackish water. Out of 49 lobster species, 33 are commercially exploited. During the 18th century, lobsters were considered to be a food for poor people (such as servants and prisoners). Today, lobsters are served as delicacy, which leads to constant decrease in their number in the wild. Around 200 000 tons of lobsters are caught each year. Despite this, lobsters are still not listed as endangered species.
Interesting Lobster Facts:
Depending on the species, lobsters vary in size from 0.8 to 3.25 feet in length. Most species are somewhere in between.
Lobsters can be divided in two groups: clawed and spiny. Clawed lobsters have claws and they inhabit cold waters. Spiny lobsters have long antennas instead of claws and they could be found in the tropical (warm) waters.
Clawed lobsters have two unequal claws. They are used for catching and slicing of prey.
Lobsters are ten-legged creatures, just like shrimps and crabs, their closest relatives.
They might look simple, but they have brain and nervous system, heart, stomach and intestines just like people.
Just like in other Arthropods, body of the lobster is protected by outer skeleton called "exoskeleton". It is also known as a shell.
Shell cannot expand in size as the lobster grows and it sheds periodically. Lobsters without shells are very vulnerable and they usually hide until new shell is formed. This process is called molting and it happens once per year.
Lobster has a long tail composed of seven pieces with a fan-like tip.
Deep-sea lobsters are blind. Other species have compound eyes. They cannot see clear image, but can detect movement even at night.
Lobsters have excellent sense of smell and touch. They use both senses to detect prey.
Lobsters mainly eat meat, such as fish, mollusks, worms and crustaceans. They also consume algae and other type of sea vegetation.
Most people think that lobsters are red in color. They are actually brown or olive-green, with reddish shades. They turn red after cooking, because heat destroys all pigments except red.
During a mating period, female becomes vulnerable because she throws away her shell. After a week of mating, new shell will develop and female will have large number of eggs deposited inside her body.
Low percent of released eggs reach maturity. Out of 10 000 eggs, only 10 will survive until the adulthood. Lobster reaches the size of the adult animal after 7 years of constant growth.
Lobsters in the wild can survive up to 100 years. Huge percent of lobsters live much shorter because they end up in the fishing nets much earlier.


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