Lobsters (Nephropidae), are mostly-aquatic crustacean invertebrates that live in shallow, and deep waters depending on the type. They can also live in Salt or freshwater, again, depending on the type.
Introduction and Habitat
Lobsters have 10 legs, 8 being for walking and apparently a front 3 for claws, tight and powerful shells, and can live for an unknown amount of time, the oldest being 140 years, which was nicknamed “George”. They are closely related to Crabs, Shrimp, and many other kinds of crustaceans. An American Lobster lives in deeper parts, usually near more rocky and rough parts, in which are usually cold or chilly. Many can be found in types and parts of trenches, regions, or undersea mountains of the ocean. Lobsters have less developed eyesight, but they have a more developed sense of taste and smell, and will usually eat fish that are closer to their size, and Mollusks. That is their primary source of food, though, but they can also eat Algae and other kinds of Underwater, and potentially Land plant life.
Lobster Life and Ancestral Features
Female Lobsters, once having eggs, carry them on their bottoms for usually a year, and then release them into the ocean. After they hatch, they go through many stages in the Water Column before going deeper, and settling there in usually self-dug burrows, tiny Trenches, Crevices (usually rocky), or hiding in seagrass. A few notable features about Lobster are their very muscular tails. There are also many kinds of Lobster. A close living relative of the Clawed Lobster is the Reef Lobster (Enoplometopus). There are also Crayfish, which are also close relatives. Lobster have powerful exoskeletons, and like snakes and most Arthropods, they need to shed for growth. A thing to note about their shedding process is they are extremely vulnerable and many types change color during the process.
Anatomy
Lobster are Decapods, Decapod meaning 8-footed. Their Anatomy containing 2 main parts, those being the Cephalothorax and the Abdomen. The Cephalothorax keeps their head and Thorax connected, both of which of those are covered by a Chitinous Shell. Lobsters are also aggressive, and like Walrus, they fight for a mate, food, and many other things. Their heads have an antennae, a smaller antennae, and mandibles, which is the mouth area of most Arthropods and a few Invertebrates. Their antennae, in case you didn’t know, are sensors. Lobsters also have Compound (meaning small) eyes, which most likely is the cause of antennae, another reason being their murky environment. An interesting part about Lobster is their blue blood. Now this is a common feature in some Invertebrates, the cause of Blue Blood though, is Hemocyanin, which has copper. Human and vertebrate blood is red, though. Why is that? Well, instead of copper, we and other vertebrates have iron in our blood, making it red. Now, back to Lobsters.
Coloring
Lobsters are interesting enough, they cant be even more, correct? Wrong. They have a wide variety of colors. Although most are black or darker colored, usually colors of the ocean floor and/or dark seagrass. But then, there are stranger colors. Some of the more rarer colors are Albino, “Cotton Candy”, which can also be known as Pastel, Blue, Calico, Orange, Split Colored, and most Split Colored are Hermaphroditic. There’s also Halloween, which is usually an Orange and Black, then there’s, Red, and Yellow. Most of the causes of these strange colors are Genetic defects or/and Genetic Phenomenon. Now, to wrap it up, I am going to give you some specific facts for other Lobster types.
Conclusion and other Lobster types
(Conservation Status unknown) Spiny Lobsters (Palinuridae), also known as Rock Lobsters, are not as related to Lobsters as you may think. Although they may resemble normal Lobsters, in terms of muscular shells and an exoskeleton, they aren’t related. A way to distinguish them from real Lobsters is their long, spiny antennae, and their more colorful and bright skin. They also have a more compressed shell, thinner body, and are found in more warm areas. Some of those locations being the Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea. They are very common in Australasia, where they are named Crayfish, or Sea Crayfish. They live in Rocky Crevices and Coral Reefs, usually hiding in their Burrows or crevices. They only usually come out at night to hunt for tiny Snails, Clams, Sea Hares, and a couple more. They also migrate in large groups, usually in long files.
Slipper Lobsters
(Not Endangered) Slipper Lobsters (Scyllaridae) are a family of Lobster that also live in warmer oceans and seas. They are yet again not true Lobsters, but much more closer to furry Lobsters and spiny Lobsters. A way to distinguish them is their large antennae, larger shell, and most notable, 2 rather noticeable protrusions that cover their small mandibles. They have six segments in their head, and 8 in the thorax, both of which are covered in a thick shell. There is also something interesting to these Lobsters. There are 2 size variations in Slipper Lobsters. 1 being the Mediterranean species, which is the smallest, and can grow to a total length of 55 millimeters. Then there’s the largest species of Slipper Lobster, which can grow to 20 inches. They commonly inhabit the deep parts of Continental Shelves, usually at depths of 500 meters. They also eat a variety of Mollusks, such as Limpets, Mussels, and Oysters.
Ending
Now to end this, 2 final facts. Many places around the world eat Lobster. While most don’t usually eat Spiny Lobster or Slipper Lobster, the most common Lobster to be eaten are Florida Lobster, Maine Lobster, and just common Lobster. Lobsters can digest food very fast, due to the fact they swallow their food, and their is barely a gullet for the food to travel from the mouth to the stomachs, unlike in humans. Despite this, they live to a surprising 31 years old for males, and 54 for females, on average.
Credits
Thanks to Wikipedia, Google, and National Geographic for this information.
Zoology and Research 
Leave a comment