![]() ![]() Newly molted juvenile American lobster (top) that has shed its old shell (bottom), hatched and reared by the Sound School in New Haven in a field-based nursery system in Long Island Sound. By law, a female lobster carrying eggs must be thrown back if it is caught. At any time she may decide to fertilize her 3,000-75,000 eggs. Female lobsters can carry live sperm for up to two years. When do lobsters mate?Ī female lobster mates mostly when she is in the soft-shell state right after she has shed her shell. Larger, more mobile, adult lobsters may live in deeper waters and may return seasonally to shallow warmer waters. Adolescent lobsters (1-1/2" to 3- 1/2" carapace length) dominate coastal habitats and offshore areas. Small lobsters (less than 1-1/2" carapace length) hide in and abround sea weeds and rocky habitat that provide adequate food and shelter from predators. From every 50,000 eggs, only two lobsters are expected to survive to legal size. The few that survive will settle to the bottom and continue to develop as baby lobsters. When the eggs hatch, the larvae will float near the surface for 4 to 6 weeks. The female lobster carries the eggs inside for 9 to 12 months and then for another 9 to 12 months attached to the swimmerets under her tail. A 9-pound female may carry more than 100,000 eggs. A 1-pound female lobster usually carries approximately 8000 eggs. A freshly-laid lobster egg is the size of the head of a pin (1/16"). Late stage American lobster (Homarus americanus) eggs photographed with digital dissecting microscope. Lobster traps must also have biodegradable escape panels which will create a large opening and neutralize the fishing potential of a lost trap. Not all "shorts" leave, however, so the lobstermen must throw them. Lobster traps must have escape vents to allow sublegal size lobsters to exit the trap while it is still on the bottom (they can come in, eat, and leave). These lobsters are known as "shorts" or "sub-legals."Įgg-bearing females are also protected, and must be placed back in the sea if they are caught. ![]() Any lobster that is smaller in carapace length than 3-1/4" must be returned unharmed to the sea. (Carapace, or shell, length is measured from the rear of the eye socket to the rear of the main body shell). ![]() Presently major conservation measures include safeguarding lobsters smaller than 3-1/4" carapace length. In the Northeast lobsters are considered to be generally overfished.įishermen and managers are working together to develop management measures which will help ensure adequate egg production to sustain the resource and fishery. However, the number of traps and general efficiency of the fishing industry have also increased. Lobster landings have increased significantly in the last decade. However, researchers have discovered that lobsters catch mainly fresh food (except for bait) which includes fish, crabs, clams, mussels, sea urchins, and sometimes even other lobsters! Is the number of lobsters dwindling? People used to think that lobsters were scavengers and ate primarily dead things. Lobsters usually move around and hunt for food at night. landings come from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine. In 1996, more than 70 million pounds of lobsters were landed in the U.S. The American Lobster is found on the east coast of North America, from Newfoundland to North Carolina. The American lobster is also known as the Massachusetts lobster, the Maine lobster, the Canadian lobster or the North Atlantic lobster. When exposed to oxygen, it develops a bluish color. ![]() The record travel so far is 225 miles, covered by a lobster tagged off the Continental Shelf and recovered at Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York. Deepwater lobsters farther out on the Continental Shelf follow a seasonal migratory pattern shoreward in summer, returning to the shelf again in the autumn. Inshore lobsters tend to stay in one place, seldom moving more than a mile or so. The record weight for the American lobster is 45 pounds. Have Maine lobsters been successfully transplanted to the West Coast?.Do lobsters chase crabs out of traps if they get there first?.What is the largest lobster ever caught?.What happens when a live lobster is frozen?.Are lobsters poisonous if they die before being cooked?.How can you tell if a boiled lobster was alive when cooked?.Why does a lobster turn red when cooked?.How many 1-pound lobsters make a pound of lobster meat?.What's the coral-colored material you see in a cooked lobster?.Can a lobster be kept alive in fresh water with ice?.How long can a lobster live out of water?.Do many young lobsters survive to old age?.How many times must a lobster molt before it reaches market size?.If lobsters molt, why have I never seen a cast-off shell?.What are some other names for lobsters?.How many kinds of lobsters are there in the United States?. ![]()
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